


she rules her life like a fine skylark and when the sky is starless

by endofdaysforme



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, careful cause it's gonna get gory there's a lot of other shit in here as well not just witches, i don't know if any of you have watched american horror story: coven but yeah..., i hope you guys like it regardless!!, i was watching apocalypse and this idea has been in my mind ever since it ended lmao, mentions of past abuse/rape, this is so out of left field i'm sorry, whew i'm nervous for this oneeeee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2019-10-20 18:46:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 99,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17627648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endofdaysforme/pseuds/endofdaysforme
Summary: her life hasn’t been easy, but it’s not something she personally dwells on. yes, she suffered for many years at the hands of penelope blossom, physically, emotionally, mentally…but she’s okay now. those girls in that dorm down the hallway changed her life forever, have healed the broken parts of her she thought would never be whole again.she’s the supreme now. her mother is gone, and she’s the supreme, and she has to stay strong for her coven, for her young witches…for herself.- -aka cheryl blossom reigns supreme as the most powerful witch in the world...but when josie mccoy comes along asking for help on a mission to save a girl who has been missing/presumed dead for twenty years, she’ll discover something she thought she’d never find...something that has the power to either strengthen her, or destroy her.- -aka a kind of american horror story: coven au that no one asked for.





	1. what a mixture of pleasant and unpleasant surprise

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY SO.
> 
> A FEW THINGS.
> 
> one: my update schedule for this is NOT going to be the same as it was for any of my other fics. we're talking at least a week long wait period for each chapter, maybe even two weeks when i eventually finish the first chapter of the other fic i'm working on. it's going to alternate between updates for both weekly so one week you'll get an update for this one and the next you'll get an update for the other one. until then though, you'll be getting weekly updates for this one...i hope that makes sense. 
> 
> two: the word count is going to be significantly shorter, aka these chapters are not going to be 10K long because holy hell that took so much out of me to do it's not even funny omg. i'm looking at a 5-7K limit for each chapter. please don't hate me for it, it's just that doing what i did before what so tiring for me guys, it's not even funny :(
> 
> three: I AM REALLY NERVOUS FOR THIS FIC AND I DON'T KNOW WHY? IT'S SO OUT OF LEFT FIELD SKSKS, BUT I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT REGARDLESS.
> 
> So yes, this is going to be an american horror story: coven au with a twist. it's basically just a supernatural au honestly, not the tv show, but the general concept of supernatural as a whole, we've got magic and witches and yeah, other stuff that i'll shut up about atm. 
> 
> again, i hope you guys don't mind waiting a week or two for chapters, i just wanna make sure each one is perfect, and i noticed with my other fics that i was so stressed about getting a new chapter out every 4-5 days that i wasn't focusing on the quality of my writing anymore, which is...not good. so yeah!
> 
> leave a comment letting me know what you think, or you can find me on twitter at @endofdaysforme.
> 
> bye now! and enjoy!
> 
> fic title from “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac

the stars in the night sky seem to twinkle almost hauntingly above her, but regardless, cheryl blossom makes her way up the stone steps of the former blossom estate mansion of thornhill, the sound of laughter echoing out through the open windows and causing her ruby red lips to curl up into a fond smile at the sound despite the slight disappointment that also rises.

 

she untangles the scarf around her neck, shivering as the cold air of late january hits her exposed skin, and with a simple flourish of her hand, the front door opens, swinging forth with a loud creak that is quickly followed by the sounds of laughter dying out at the sound of it.

 

her girls are still awake…they should be in bed, it’s much too late for them to still be up…

 

she sighs and quickly squats down to brush away the black sand at the foot of the door, leaving a gap between where both ends meet and causing a slight spark to burst forth, one she barely winces at anymore before she's straightening up and stepping over the threshold of the door with her shoulders tensed and her senses heightened.

 

it's only for a second, but she needs to remain vigilant, always...a split second of vulnerability could mean death in this town of chaos...

 

she murmurs quickly under her breath, squatting back down and brushing the sand back into place one again, closing her her eyes as she taps into that energy that rests so potent within her, and with a quick flutter of those long eyelashes, the sand burns blue, flames licking the air before the line expands beyond cheryl's line of vision in a circular line around the entire mansion.

 

it’s only then that she allows herself to relax once more, that smile from before taking over once more as she allows herself to finally settle into the warm embrace of the foyer.

 

it's safe now...they're safe.

 

the door has barely shut behind her, cheryl once again lazily flicking her hand to shut it, just wanting to tap into her magic after not being able to use much of it in the last few hours before there’s the sound of thundering footsteps, and that warmth in her heart only expands with affection at the sight of veronica lodge and betty cooper rounding the corner, the both of them breathless with excitement as they rush toward her with barely contained giggles.

 

“you're back! look, we know we’re up late, miss blossom, but look! look at what betty just did!” veronica seems almost giddy, the sixteen year old practically _beaming_ at her best friend as betty cooper suddenly smiles widely and looks to cheryl with a shaky sigh of nerves. cheryl simply smiles encouragingly, cocks an eyebrow and waits, and betty holds her two cupped hands up, opening them to expose a flower in her hands that seems to shine _too_ brightly to be normal, this ethereal, white glow emanating from it that has cheryl’s eyes widening in surprise.

 

oh...this is new, this is definitely new, and very much an advanced level, she's growing...

 

“oh, betty…” she steps forward with nothing but pride rushing through her, reaches her hand out and immediately feels the pure, white energy that flows through the flower as her fingers hover over it, red nails shining from the light, that white energy that flows through _betty_ touching cheryl's own, the young blonde’s eyes closed in concentration with a frown creasing her brow before the light all too suddenly fades and the girl’s eyes flutter open, a soft gasp escaping her in displeasure as she stares down at the flower in anguish.

 

“what? i…i lasted much longer before, miss blossom, i swear-.” but cheryl interrupts up with a quick shake of her head and a smile, the pride rushing through her almost making her chest ache with happiness.

 

“betty, this is incredible! don’t discredit any progress that you make, sweet girl. your magic is growing, and you should be proud of it…as proud as i am of you.” cheryl says softly, her eyes dragging up from the flower in betty’s hands to the girl herself, a hand reaching out to cup her rosy red cheek, flushed from exertion, and selflessly, cheryl gives a little of herself to the young girl through the simple touch of her hand on her skin, gives her the boost of energy she seems to be lacking, clear in the way she’s swaying from using so much magic for this simple parlor trick that cheryl could easily do with the flick of a finger.

 

but still…it’s progress. her girls are growing up and getting stronger…all her hard work is paying off, this is everything she’s wanted for so long…

 

betty’s eyes seem to water with pride before she’s tilting her head further into cheryl’s hand affectionately, marveling in this praise from her supreme, and she smiles and nods once before she sniffs away her tears and holds her head high.

 

“thank you, miss blossom. can we work on it tomorrow in class?” betty asks eagerly, veronica looking to cheryl just the same, desperate to get on the same level as her best friend as the red haired woman lets out a soft chuckle and nods.

 

“of course. but for now, you need to rest. it’s late and you need to be up early for breakfast tomorrow. gather the other girls hiding in the drawing room and prepare for bed. go on, you two.” cheryl scolds them sternly, but not unkindly, smiling at veronica when she gasps with wonder at how cheryl knew the other girls were in the drawing room (and of course she knows, she can feel the excited energy from a mile away in that small room) before her cheeks flush, but betty simply grabs her hand before they rush off to the drawing room with barely contained giggles and grins.

 

betty and veronica are her two oldest and brightest students, and cheryl often leaves them in charge when she needs to leave for a few hours, but she clearly needs to have a talk with them about appropriate bed time hours. one in the morning is definitely too late for them to be up, they need all the sleep they can get with the energy they use every day in class…cheryl suspects that in the distant future, when her time as supreme is over, it will be these two that will fight it out in the test of the seven wonders for the ultimate honor of becoming the next supreme...

 

but regardless, cheryl watches them go fondly before she allows herself to let out a tired sigh, beginning the long ascent up the staircase to her bedroom with fatigue settling deep into her bones. 

 

her meeting with the head of the wizards academy, archie andrews, has left her exhausted. the man was as stubborn as he was hardheaded, and despite their semi decent friendship, his complete and utter refusal to allow the witches of her coven, the young students of her academy, to tour the home of their counterparts is ridiculous.

 

still, she understands where he’s coming from. perhaps it’s something that can occur further down the line, when certain traditions are no longer seen at high value…doesn’t make it any less frustrating that it isn’t happening _now._ it doesn't help that he's two years younger than her, the complete and utter idiot...

 

why archie, and frankly, reggie mantle, dilton doiley and a few other wizards in the high council are so hell bent on keeping with a five hundred year old tradition to keep the teachings of witches and wizards separate that’s way past it’s time is beyond her, but regardless, she tried her best, and she failed. 

 

she has no issues admitting it.

 

better to acknowledge your defeats than to brush them off as nothing. she’ll learn from this and try again at another time. a time when perhaps, archie and his band of buffons are no longer in charge.

 

for now, however, she’s too tired to keep her eyes open for much longer, and she has a long day of teaching tomorrow now that betty’s shown growth in her own powers…she wants to help the other girls elevate as well. just because betty and veronica are her brightest students, doesn't mean she'll deny the others the chance of taking part in the seven wonders for a chance to become supreme as well. that day may be far away, but she wants her girls focused and prepared. the seven wonders was no easy feat, cheryl barely escaped alive when she went through it herself...

 

so she makes her way towards her bedroom, smiling at the sounds of the girls rushing up the stairs to head to their dorms as she pushes the door open and lets it close shut behind her softly, already thinking about plans on what to do tomorrow for their lesson.

 

the silence that greets her is welcoming, cheryl sighing loudly as she reaches behind her for the zip at the top of her dress. she pulls it down slowly, lethargically, tongue caught between her teeth in concentration as she lets the fabric drop off her shoulders and pool at her feet. 

 

it’s tiring, she’ll admit…looking after so many young girls, a group of ten who each owned just a little piece of her heart…being the only teacher of a young coven of witches who were so bright...being their supreme, their leader, helping them navigate the world of magic while simultaneously balancing it out with their normal lives, it’s difficult some days.

 

especially when all she’s ever known about being a supreme is the way her mother was one. her mother, who took on this responsibility with not much poise and barely any care, using her powers for her own gain and caring for no one else in the process. her mother who treated her like dirt for seventeen years of her life until she was gone…until cheryl took over.

 

she’s spent the last four years as supreme trying desperately to clear her name of the slander, of the anger and hurt that came with the name ‘blossom’ because of everything her mother has done, and god, it has been so fucking _hard._

 

she’s tried to be a better supreme than she ever was, and yes, she’s at least managed to convince quite a few that she’s worthy of the power she possesses, is in no way shape or form anything like her mother, was a victim to penelope blossom just as everyone else was, but there will always be those that doubt, and truthfully, she doesn’t blame them.

 

her mother was not just a terrible supreme, she was a terrible person in general. the lives she ruined…cheryl’s pretty sure she’ll never be able to finish counting them off…and one of those names included her own.

 

not a day goes by where cheryl doesn’t feel a sense of warmth over the fact that she’s gone, and maybe there is a part of her that mourns the loss of her mother, but penelope blossom never showed her a single ounce of care or affection in her entire life. cheryl’s only recently begun to learn what it is to be loved and to love in return, her group of her girls showing her something she’s never experienced: love and family. and god, had it been hard, convincing those who doubted her that they were safe with her at her academy, that she would look after their children with the utmost care as if they were her own…a promise she’s kept for the last four years, but it doesn’t make it any easier, trying to fix the mistakes her mother made over her time as the supreme…

 

it was known as the dark age for witches, her mother reigning as ruler. but it wasn’t always like that…cheryl’s heard the stories, heard of what she was like when she first assumed the position of supreme. she was nothing more or nothing less than an absolute saint, had done such a good job, was selfless and caring, provided the witches with all the help she could while simultaneously keeping them safe and secure. she was the kind of supreme cheryl is now, the kind of supreme cheryl models herself after, doing everything she can to protect not only her own coven, but any others who seek her help as well…

 

yes, cheryl’s heard the stories...she’s heard how her mother _used_ to be. graceful, eloquent, caring, loving, supportive…the best supreme the witches had ever seen.

 

cheryl never got the chance to meet that side of her mother.

 

because her father committing suicide during her mother’s third month of pregnancy, unable to handle the idea of his children having magic, an inevitable thing with their mother being the supreme, had been the first strike. because her mother’s loss of magic, of that part of her she loved so much during those nine months of pregnancy while she grew two children inside her womb, that had been the second strike. 

 

because three weeks after she and her twin brother, jason, were born, a voodoo priestess from new orleans had paid the ultimate price for immortality: sacrifice the child of a supreme to the angel of death to avoid him for all eternity.

 

and that. that had been the third strike.

 

penelope had lost her mind after the death of her newborn son, had become nothing but a wicked, vile, manipulative, vindictive woman who did everything in her power to make sure the witches had no support whatsoever. she stopped teaching. she stopped helping. she stopped _caring._

 

and as for her daughter? well, as far as penelope was concerned, she died along with jason that night.

 

cheryl was cursed to a childhood filled with nothing but anger and hatred from her mother, filled with nothing but insults and wicked attacks, both physical and verbal, that left her crying under the covers in her bed, sobbing into her pillow to muffle the sounds so her mother wouldn’t launch another attack on her for being too loud, or weak, or soft…

 

_"you're nothing but a disgrace, cheryl! nothing but an insolent, deviant child! you'll never be the supreme, do you hear me?! i'll make sure i live forever so you **never** feel that power!"_

 

and oh, how that promise of her living forever had scared the life out of her...an eternity with penelope blossom by her side would be her own personal brand of hell.

 

her life hasn’t been easy, but it’s not something she personally dwells on. yes, she suffered for many years at the hands of penelope blossom, physically, emotionally, mentally…but she’s okay now. those girls in that dorm down the hallway changed her life forever, have healed the broken parts of her she thought would never be whole again.

 

she’s the supreme now. her mother is gone, and she’s the supreme, and she has to stay strong for her coven, for her young witches…for herself.

 

with that thought and that thought alone, cheryl blossom falls asleep with a smile on her face, ready for the day to come tomorrow…

 

unaware that what’s to come will not only change everything, but will change her life forever, too…

 

\----

 

“channel your energy, ethel…there you go…don’t push too hard, you don’t want to force it. magic isn’t something to be forced.”

 

cheryl frowns as she watches the sweat build on ethel muggs's forehead, her eyes focused dead center on the flower resting in front of her, trying her best to use her energy to make it glow just as brightly as betty’s beside her, but it’s just not working-

 

cheryl feels disappointment for only the slightest second before she pushed it away and moves to stand behind ethel, biting back a sigh and instead smiling as best she can.

 

“relax, ethel…” cheryl grips the young girl’s shoulders, rubbing them soothingly as the girl bares her teeth and lets out a sigh of frustration before she looks up at cheryl with tears in her eyes.

 

“i don’t understand-.”

 

“it’s nothing to fret about, ethel…your magic just isn’t as advanced yet, but you will get there one day, okay? i believe in you…but don’t push it or force it before you’re ready, you know what happens if you do.” cheryl says sternly, watching with relief as ethel sighs and purses her lips before she nods and sinks back into her chair.

 

she’s drilled it into their minds almost every day for four years now…never push your magic beyond what you can handle…

 

death comes knocking the second you step too far over the cliff, she tells them…

 

"you're all doing so well, don't be discouraged by the flower not glowing, girls. it just means betty's advanced to a higher level, it doesn't mean you all won't do the same some day." cheryl reassured them, smiling at all ten girls gathered around the table as they sink back into their chairs with exhaustion and frustration while betty simply beams and stares down at her glowing flower with a slightly smug expression on her face, veronica beside her watching with a frown before she turns to her flower once more.

 

“does this mean betty is going to become the next supreme, miss blossom?” ginger asks, tossing her brown hair over her shoulder and looking down as her own flower refuses to light up while betty’s continues to bloom so beautifully, and betty’s head snaps up, the light dimming as she glares at ginger angrily.

 

“shut up, ginger! miss blossom isn't going anywhere and i don't want to take that from her-.”

 

“it’s okay, betty.” cheryl says with a chuckle, smiling softly at the girl as she huffs and focuses back on her flower. cheryl knows why she's getting upset at the mere idea of being the next supreme...

 

because when the next one rises, the old one falls. it's how it happened with her mother when she rose, and it's how it will happen when one of the girls before her rises to become the next supreme...

 

cheryl's not scared. or worried. when the day comes, it comes.

 

but she knows that day is far from near. she's never felt better, and she's young, too young for her magic to begin waning, and she's thankful that she became supreme at such a young age. the idea of one of these girls becoming supreme at the age they are now is terrifying, and cheryl's _been_ through it, became supreme at the age veronica is right now...it was terrifying. too terrifying. she won't put her girls through that...

 

so cheryl simply turns to ginger with a small shrug.

 

“perhaps she will be…one day. perhaps you will be…any of you girls are capable of being the supreme. and when the time comes for you to go through the test of the seven wonders, we’ll see who reigns supreme. but that day is far ahead of us, so for now, let’s focus on what’s important: honing your magic and helping it grow. now-.”

 

“uh, miss blossom? someone’s at the front door…” veronica interrupts suddenly, a frown on her face and her eyes slightly glazed over, staring off into the distance as cheryl looks to her with wide eyes filled with surprise.

 

each girl has their own special abilities. some of them haven’t come into them quite yet, but a few of them have. for example, ginger is able to determine ingredients used in drinks and foods from a simple taste, down to how many grains of salt have been used to flavor it. diana is able to manipulate metal objects, twist them to however which way she wants. 

 

and veronica? well, veronica is able to sense other people’s presences nearby, is able to determine a person’s agenda through their aura, whether their intentions are good or bad. cheryl can still remember the day veronica had warned her that a man who had been following their small group for a few blocks during an outing into town had been eyeing them for malicious reasons, cheryl able to pull the group away and use a quick spell to stop the man from being able to get any closer to them than the few hundred feet away he already was, the man glaring at them as they walked quickly back to the blossom estate…

 

“good or bad?” cheryl asks in a low voice. veronica’s frown deepens, her eyes closing as she takes a deep breath in before she licks her lips and shakes her head, looking up at cheryl with a look of worry.

 

“i…i can’t tell.” 

 

cheryl pauses, observing the group of girls in front of her before she clenches her jaw and straightens her back, nodding once with resolution while simultaneously tapping into just a small amount of her power.

 

whoever they are, they’ll regret coming here, especially if their intentions aren’t good…

 

“girls, move to the main drawing room, keep the doors shut. don’t come out no matter what you hear.” cheryl says firmly, watching as the girls immediately begin to panic, eyes widening with fear as cheryl smiles as reassuringly as she can despite the own fear pounding through her veins.

 

“i’m sure it’s nothing, but i’m just taking precautions, girls. go, now.” they all jump out of their chairs, the sound of the wood scraping against the tiled floor as they file out into the hallway to go through to the drawing room while cheryl squares her shoulders and makes her way to the front door slowly and cautiously.

 

if veronica can’t get a read on whoever is at the front door, it means they’re blocking her magic with their own. it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re powerful, veronica is a young witch still blossoming into her powers, and regardless, no one holds more power than the supreme, so cheryl’s not too worried, but she can’t help the way her heart is racing against her chest as she licks her ruby red lips and slowly reaches for the door handle.

 

she’s already tapping into her telekinetic powers before-

 

“girl, if you don’t open this damn door…”

 

cheryl blanches, but the muffled voice beyond the door is all too familiar.

 

_what the hell is **she** doing here!?_

 

she purses her lips and throws the door open to be immediately greeted by-

 

“well, well, well…josie mccoy, what a mixture of pleasant and unpleasant surprise.” cheryl says simply, crossing her arms over her chest as the girl before her smiles widely, a mustard yellow crop top and blue denim jeans covering her ebony colored skin, her dark curls bouncing as she cocks an eyebrow and crosses her own arms over her chest, looking cheryl up and down with amusement with her dark brown eyes narrowed.

 

“you haven’t aged a day. i really hate your ass.” 

 

“perks of being supreme, josie. now what brings you all the way out here from new orleans? riverdale is far from home, and our covens aren’t exactly on speaking terms…it must be a pressing matter.” cheryl says, her curiosity piqued, but her body relaxing now that she’s knows it’s no imminent threat as josie’s smile falters and a deep sigh escapes her.

 

“i’ll explain inside. can i come in?” cheryl hesitates for only a moment before she licks her lips and nods.

 

“of course.”

 

cheryl bends down, brushes the sand away and watches the spark of blue flame before she steps back with a smile, and josie chuckles and steps over the threshold slowly.

 

"i would've lowered it myself, but i'm not about to mess with supreme mojo." she teases, and cheryl simply rolls her eyes and lets her pass before she's moving the sand back into place and focusing her energy on placing the protection spell back over the mansion. once the flash of bright blue flames disappears, she closes the door and turns to face josie with a frown, watching as young woman looks around the mansion in awe. 

 

“the kitchen is down the hall to the left. i’ll be with you in a moment.” cheryl murmurs. josie rolls her eyes, but looks around the home once more for just a moment before she makes her way to the kitchen. it’s the first time josie’s been to her home, her academy, and cheryl stares at the back of her for a long time, pondering just what the hell the voodoo witch from new orleans is doing here.

 

her relationship with josie mccoy, and frankly, _all_ the voodoo witches in new orleans is…complicated. after all, it was a voodoo priestess from josie’s coven that had committed that audacious, heinous crime of sacrificing her brother to the man they called ‘papa legba’, the gatekeeper to the spirit world, an almost angel of death who kept the balance between life and death in the voodoo and magical world. cheryl had met josie mccoy during her first year as the supreme, her first act of business being an attempt to try and repair the relationship between both her coven and the voodoo witches after everything her mother had done, or more so, hadn’t done…not that cheryl necessarily blamed her for banishing any association with them, but still…it was only one voodoo witch who committed a crime, not the whole coven. cheryl lays no blame on them for what happened.

 

josie’s mother, however, held nothing back, had told cheryl to leave, claiming that her mother’s actions, or lack of, really, were irreparable. cheryl doesn’t know the full extent of what her mother had done to their coven, but had respected the voodoo queen’s wishes and left, despite josie telling her to stay and try again, because she believed in peace between the covens as well.

 

it’s why cheryl doesn’t consider her a total enemy, but doesn’t consider her a true friend either. just somewhere in between. a frenemy, if you will.

 

since that day she left, she’s only seen josie a handful of times since…which makes it all the more strange that she’s here now.

 

cheryl lets out a deep sigh and heads to the drawing room, sliding the doors open with a smile to see her girls look up at her with fear from the chairs around the room before they all seem to relax visibly at the sight of her unharmed and smiling.

 

“it’s fine, girls. it’s…well, not a friend, but at least not a foe. practice your magic in here, i’ll return as soon as i can, okay? betty, veronica…take over while i’m gone. betty, do your best to explain to the girls how you make the flower glow.” 

 

betty and veronica both nod, the other girls murmuring under their breaths with either worry or disgruntlement over betty and veronica being given the position of power in her absence as cheryl closes the doors once more and makes her way into the kitchen to find josie already brewing herself a tea. she rolls her eyes and takes a seat at the island with a sigh, her red nails scratching at the marble countertop to get josie’s attention.

 

leave it to josie to make herself at home, but the look on her face tells cheryl that somthing is very wrong here, so she simply waits patiently as josie finishes brewing her tea and turns to face cheryl with a frown.

 

“so…some shit’s gone down.” she says simply. cheryl cocks an eyebrow.

 

“i figured, it’s the only reason you’d come here. care to elaborate?” cheryl asks, sitting up straighter with a frown as josie sighs and nods slowly with pursed lips.

 

“you know how my mother told you she’s simply a stand in as the voodoo queen of new orleans?” josie says firmly, her cajun accent breaking through and almost causing cheryl to smile, her lips only slightly twitching as she nods once with a soft hum.

 

yes, she's aware that josie's mother isn't the true voodoo queen. she has no idea what happened to the last one, was only told this during her meeting with sierra mccoy when the voodoo queen told her...

 

“yes. has something happened?” josie looks to her with worry before she shakes her head and sets her teacup down.

 

“nothing’s happened, but i came upon some knowledge that changes everything for my coven, and also changes things for _you._ ” josie moves away from the kettle and over to sit down beside cheryl, who turns in her seat to face josie with a look of confusion etched onto her pale features. josie simply frowns before she suddenly grips cheryl’s hand that’s resting on the countertop, the red haired girl looking down at their conjoined hands in surprise as she feels a rush of energy at josie’s touch.

 

the girl’s emotions are all over the place, but more than anything, cheryl feels sympathy, for her or for someone else, she isn't sure...

 

“it has to do with your mother, cheryl.” she says softly. 

 

ah...so for her.

 

cheryl’s heart immediately begins racing wildly, a sharp inhale of breath sucked in as she swallows thickly and looks to josie with concern, but also immediate acceptance.

 

she should’ve known. she should’ve known her mother had something to do with whatever is going on, because despite the fact that she’s been dead for four years now, cheryl’s _still_ paying for her crimes…

 

“what did she do?” she asks in a low voice, already determined to do whatever it takes to fix this despite her less than stellar relationship with the voodoo witches as josie scratches at her forearm absentmindedly and begins staring down into her teacup, her eyes distant as if she’s recalling some far off memory.

 

“years ago, when…when your brother was killed by the voodoo priestess, sabine, your mother swore to burn our entire coven to the ground, and the voodoo queen back then, marcella, banned sabine from the coven and sentenced her to a life buried underground as punishment. it’s strictly prohibited to make any sacrifices to papa legba, a rule marcella herself implemented, but your mother…it wasn’t enough for her…” josie trails off, inhaling deeply before she looks to cheryl with sadness.

 

“she…she kidnapped the daughter of the voodoo queen, cheryl, and for the longest time, we’ve believed that she simply killed her. marcella herself spent _years_ searching for her daughter, no matter how hard we tried to tell her that she was gone. she begged your mother to tell her what she did to her, but your mother refused to say a word. about ten years ago, we…we discovered marcella’s body one night on the streets of new orleans, neck torn to shreds and drained of blood.” josie clenches her jaw, a clear and present anger shining in her eyes, and cheryl’s heart just seems to stop.

 

“vampires.” she whispers with horror, sighing shakily.

 

she’s only ever encountered one vampire before, and she doesn’t wish to do it again. they were vile, despicable creatures with only one thing on their minds at all times: blood. they didn’t care who they killed, who they tortured, who suffered at their hands, as long as they got their fill of the crimson substance that kept them alive…

 

cheryl never wants to encounter them again.

 

josie nods slowly before she continues talking, letting out a shaky breath as she does.

 

“she ordered a hit on a group of vampires back in the day when they murdered one of us, they’d been looking for revenge for years, and clearly, they got their chance. marcella was only weakening more and more as the years went by without antoinette by her side…”

 

“antoinette?” cheryl asks softly, a smile subconsciously forming on her face for reasons she can’t explain as josie simply purses her lips and nods.

 

“marcella’s daughter. that’s her name. we gave up the search for her after marcella died, because after ten years it just…it didn’t seem possible that she was still alive. my mother stepped up to the plate in her absence, but…there’s been rumors, cheryl. there’s been rumors that antoinette is still out there. and i think they're true because if they weren't, my mother wouldn't be having any trouble taking the true position as the next voodoo queen. something's stopping her and i think it's marcella's daughter.” cheryl looks at josie in surprise, and the voodoo witch smiles softly and nods before she takes a sip of her tea and stares at her cautiously, as if she’s afraid to say her next words.

 

“rumor has it that your mother… _delivered_ her to a group of vampires, knowing that they’d take her because of their hatred for our coven…what they’ve been doing with her for twenty years, i have no idea, cheryl, but if this is true…if it’s true and she’s still alive, we need to save her.” 

 

a dead silence rings through the entire kitchen as cheryl takes a few moments to process josie’s words.

 

some young girl…some young girl was kidnapped by her mother, delivered to a group of…of _monsters_ , where she’s been held captive for twenty years?

 

it can’t be, it’s not plausible, it…

 

“if…if this is true, why didn’t antoinette use her magic to escape? why didn’t she come back if she did?”

 

it doesn’t add up, none of it adds up, this girl can’t possibly still be alive, and truly, that thought hurts more than anything...her mother got someone killed-

 

“i don’t know, cheryl. but if this rumor is true, i have to do something. the voodoo witches are dying without their real queen, our magic is waning by the day and even my mother’s starting to acknowledge it now. she can't become the true queen while the real one is still alive, so this _has_ to be true. we won’t survive the year if we don’t find this girl and bring her home.” josie says desperately. 

 

for the voodoo witches, their queen was like their supreme, their leader…cheryl tries to think of her own coven surviving without her…

 

the very thought sends a shiver up her spine, but she suppresses it and licks her lips before she shakes her head.

 

“and yet, you’ve come to me. what for?” cheryl asks cautiously, wondering what her part in all of this is exactly, and josie hesitates before she swallows thickly and looks to cheryl with nothing but desperation.

 

“cheryl…it’s rumored that she’s here, in riverdale, being held captive on the southside by a group of _culebras_ at a place they call ‘the whyte wyrm’.”

 

_oh god…_

 

“ _culebras_ …” cheryl swallows thickly before she nods. she’s heard of these creatures on the southside, heard of these mutated versions of vampires who were more snake than human, more serpent than vampire…she’s wanted nothing more than to confront them, to eradicate them, to stop them from hurting anyone because she’s heard the sheriff talk about the tourists who show up dead on the border between greendale and riverdale with bites to their necks and wrists, knows it’s their doing, but…even as a supreme witch, she can’t do it alone, and she can’t risk a war with mutated forms of vampires who no one had any idea how to kill…not when she has a group of young girls in her home, it’s too risky…

 

she can’t do this. she just _can’t._ she can't put her girls at risk, not for anyone or anything...

 

“josie, i…i’m sorry, but i can’t sacrifice my life, or put myself in danger, i can't leave my girls without a supreme based on a _hunch._ it’s been twenty years, there’s no way these vampires have kept her alive for this long-.”

 

“cheryl, if there’s even a five percent chance it’s true, i need to check it out. she’s probably being tortured right now by those…those _things_ , has been for twenty years, i can’t let her keep going through that! she’s my sister, my _queen_ , i can’t let her suffer another day longer.” josie says hoarsely, the look in her eyes filled with sadness and tears, and cheryl bites down on her bottom lip anxiously.

 

“josie, you’re doing this based of a rumor! if it ends up not being true, you’re putting yourself in danger for nothing!” cheryl says firmly, teeth slightly bared in her desperation to get josie to see what she’s doing, but josie simply shakes her head again, clearly not backing down for a single second. 

 

“cheryl, i’m doing this with or without your help, my coven is _dying_ , and i know our covens aren’t happy with each other, but you want peace and so do i. what better way to get that than to save the girl who’s supposed to be our queen? and what better way to make up for your mother’s sins, and her crimes, than to save the girl who suffered the most at her hands?” 

 

cheryl almost wants to scream at her that it’s hypocritical of her to ask cheryl for help, wants to remind her that it was sabine, one of her _own_ people who started this war with her family by murdering her innocent, helpless brother. 

 

but cheryl let go of that hatred a long time ago, let go of that sadness, that grief, and she refused to let it take her over now. that’s what lead to her mother’s demise, what lead to her reign of tyranny, and cheryl won’t be part of that, won’t become that, she refuses to…

 

but regardless of that, there is one thing that josie said that cheryl can’t deny no matter what. that if it’s true…if this girl is really alive and she’s been held captive for twenty years by these _culebras_ , if her mother is the one who handed this innocent girl over to them…

 

she's been suffering for twenty years because of penelope blossom.

 

_you have to help her, cheryl…you have to, this is your mother’s fault, she’s been put through hell for the last twenty years because of her…_

 

cheryl exhales shakily, her heart racing, and her mind on those girls in the drawing room, those girls who need her, those girls who love her, those girls…

 

it’s a risk. such a huge risk, but this girl’s life was ruined because of her mother, and if she’s alive, cheryl can’t willingly go on with her own life knowing that she was continuing to suffer because of her.

 

penelope blossom is dead. this is cheryl’s responsibility now.

 

she takes a deep breath in before she looks to josie, swallows the lump in her throat and finally nods after a very, very long pause.

 

“okay…okay, josie, we’ll…we’ll scope out this whyte wyrm place first, try to get answers, we can’t go in there guns blazing. i may be the supreme but i refuse to walk into danger blindly. _culebras_ are more powerful than normal vampires, if they catch us, it’s over, we’re dead, and both our covens need us. we need to plan this out thoroughly before we make any moves.”

 

josie’s eyes widen before she lets out a sigh of relief, a smile instantly lighting up her face as she grips cheryl’s hand and squeezes it tightly.

 

“thank you, cheryl. this means a lot to me…” josie breathes, the smile on her face almost lighting up the entire room, and cheryl simply gives her a shaky smile back before she nods once and quickly stands with an equally shaky sigh.

 

god, what is she doing...

 

_antoinette...this girl needs my help..._

 

“you’re welcome to stay here while we brainstorm a plan. for now…i have a class to teach. you better be right about this, josie.” cheryl murmurs, turning her back and making her way out of the kitchen, but not before she hears josie murmur under her breath...

 

"i hope i am too, cheryl...i hope i am, too."


	2. the serpent queen of the whyte wyrm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL FUCKING READY FOR TONIGHT'S EPISODE?! I SURE FUCKING AM, BUT HERE'S A CHAPTER TO TIDE YOU OVER UNTIL IT FINALLY ARRIVES.
> 
> Also, i'll be updating this every wednesday from now on, because I ran a poll on twitter and y'all said you wanted updates on wednesdays, so here we are!
> 
> hope you like this one, it's got action, it's got plot twists, it's got...a lot! leave a comment letting me know what you think or you can message me on twitter at @endofdaysforme! until next week! <3

“miss blossom, are you sure we shouldn’t come with you?” 

 

veronica lodge’s eyes are filled with terror and concern as cheryl grabs her beige coat from the rack and quickly slips it on with a soft sigh and a reassuring smile, her eyes meeting veronica’s before she reaches out to grip the young girl’s hand tightly.

 

“i’m not putting you in danger, any of you.”

 

“but miss blossom, you put us in danger by putting yourself in danger! we won’t survive without our supreme!” betty says in a low voice, glancing back behind her up the stairs to where the rest of the girls are sleeping in their dorms as if she’s worried she might have woken them. cheryl looks up at the clock on the wall apprehensively, sighing at the time that stares back.

 

one forty five in the morning.

 

it’s been a week since josie arrived at the academy, a week of planning between cheryl and josie, and cheryl hasn’t told any of her girls the full extent of what they’re doing, but she couldn’t lie to them and tell them it was a simple and safe mission. she told them the truth: that it was something dangerous and she needed them to be on high alert while she was gone tonight. but cheryl’s confident that they’ll be okay…the protection spell around the house has never failed her, and truthfully, it’s herself and josie she should be worried about. even though she hasn’t used an ounce of magic in days, even though she has been saving every iota of energy she has inside her body for this night, she’s still nervous despite her confidence. 

 

they’re about to face a horde of vampires, and after cheryl’s last encounter with one, she can’t help but be scared. she’d almost lost a hand that day, a vampire lurking around the academy before cheryl had been alerted to his presence by the protection around the house causing him to fly backwards several feet as soon as he’d attempted to walk to the front door. when she’d burst through it, the vampire had tackled her to the ground, had almost ripped her arm off before she had used her magic to light him up like a matchstick.

 

of course, it had killed him, but that had been a regular vampire. fire killed regular vampires. these _culebras_ are something cheryl’s never encountered, she has no idea how to kill them, and all their research had led to the same old thing: how to kill vampires, not how to kill _mutated ones._

 

regardless, cheryl will use hellfire and brimstone if she has to, is just praying that fire is something that can kill or at least maim a _culebra_ just the same as it can affect a vampire, is also praying that this will all be worth it…

 

“i’ll be cautious, betty, don’t worry. all i want the two of you to focus on is keeping the other girls safe. i’ll place the usual protection spell over the house so no one can come in, follow the normal rules and everything will be fine. try to get back to sleep as well.” cheryl says under her breath, lifting her hair out from under her coat and watching josie as she makes her way over to them, pocketing a handful of pouches into her purse that have cheryl raising her eyebrow at her with a smirk.

 

josie had spent the day in the kitchen brewing some kind of voodoo magic pouches to protect them and “distract” the _culebras_ (her own words) so they could get away quickly should something go awry. cheryl’s never delved into that form of magic, but she respects it and trusts josie enough not to doubt her or the magic she possesses. she just hopes it’s enough to get them through any kind of trouble they might get into.

 

no…they _will_ get into. there’s no way they’re going to escape with this antoinette girl, if she’s still alive anyway, without getting into some kind of scuffle or fight…

 

_god, this isn’t a good idea…_

 

but there’s no time for doubts now. none at all. and the thought of that girl suffering at the hands of those snakes is all that’s been motivating cheryl to keep going with this plan. this girl must be much older now, josie informed her that the girl had just had her twentieth birthday when she was kidnapped by her mother, so she must be at least forty now…cheryl has no idea what condition they might find antoinette in, but she at least suspects it won’t be anything good…

 

there’s only two possibilities running through her mind: that antoinette is being tortured and kept weak so she can’t use her magic, or she’s developed some kind of stockholm syndrome and is with her captors _willingly_ , a possibility that fills her with so much dread, it sends a shiver up her spine every time she thinks about it.

 

she looks to betty and veronica with a frown of worry before she exhales shakily.

 

“don’t open the door, keep the lights dimmed, no magic while you’re gone.” she says firmly, and veronica and betty both purse their lips and nod once in sync as cheryl chuckles and looks to betty with amusement.

 

“do you think you can follow that last rule properly this time, betty?” she teases, tightening her coat around her waist by the belt as betty scuffs her foot on the ground guiltily before she sighs.

 

“i didn’t mean to use magic last time you were gone, miss blossom, but i just wanted to see if i could make the flower glow-.”

 

“it’s okay, sweet girl. i’m not mad. just promise me you won’t do magic tonight. any of you. just try to get back to bed.” cheryl says sternly, looking to both of them and watching with a smile as they nod furiously.

 

she hates leaving them alone like this, god…what if these _culebras_ followed them back to the academy? what if she dies tonight and they’re left without a supreme, without protection? this is insane…

 

_this girl needs your help, cheryl…_

 

“we’ll make sure that no magic is used, but i can’t guarantee we’ll be able to sleep knowing you’re out there in danger.” veronica says firmly, pulling cheryl out of her thoughts as she looks up at veronica with a tender smile, but before she can say anything, josie straightens up and nods at her. 

 

“come on, cheryl, it’s getting late and it’s at least a fifteen minute drive.” josie says with a sigh, and cheryl licks her lips before she nods once and gives veronica and betty’s hands a squeeze.

 

“i’ll be back before you know it. stay vigilant.”

 

“yes, miss blossom.” 

 

with guilt weighing heavy in her heart, but determination on her brain, cheryl opens the door, exhaling shakily with josie right behind her as she bends down to scrape some of the sand back to leave a gap, the blue flames licking her black boots before she stands and steps over the threshold with josie. veronica and betty watch in a mixture of awe and concern as she bends down to place the sand back into place to form the circle once more, whispering under her breath before the blue flames spread in a circle over the entire mansion. 

 

cheryl stands up straight with a smile as betty and veronica sigh and slowly close the door behind her, exchanging one last glance with their supreme before the wooden door blocks them from view. cheryl turns to look at josie, and to her surprise, josie actually pulls a pouch out from her purse and rests it by one of the banisters, hiding it behind the brick with a smile before her eyes close and her lips begin moving, and cheryl watches in surprise as the bag shines brightly before josie stands straight with a sigh. cheryl simply cocks an eyebrow at josie, who shrugs and makes her way down the steps.

 

“extra protection. those girls have grown on me this past week.”

 

cheryl smiles at that, takes one last look at the mansion with worry before she descends the stairs after josie slowly, making their way towards her car as they do.

 

there’s a million different ways this could go, and cheryl’s not prepared for any of them. all she knows is that they need to at least find out what happened to this antoinette girl, if she’s still alive, if she’s okay, if she’s dead, just _something…_ something to give herself and josie peace of mind.

 

her mother did this at the end of the day. cheryl needs to make it right.

 

as josie turns the engine on and quickly pulls out of the driveway of thornhill, down the dirt path of the blossom estate, cheryl finds herself wondering just what’s waiting for them once they reach this whyte wyrm.

 

what if it’s surrounded by these _culebras_? what if it’s a mix of both them and vampires? what if they’re attacked the moment they walk in? it’s a million different scenarios that run through her mind, and none of them good. but that girl has been suffering for twenty years because of her mother, cheryl won’t let her suffer a second longer.

 

that’s if she’s alive, anyway…

 

god, what if this entire thing is for nothing? what if they go there and antoinette is nowhere to be found? how are they even supposed to find out if she’s alive or not? it’s not like they can go around asking questions about her without raising suspicion…she’s quite sure these snakes won’t be able to detect that her and josie are magical at all without them outright using magic in front of them, but it’s still a troublesome thought…

 

but josie was so adamant that antoinette must be alive…that her coven wouldn’t be suffering so much without their proper queen if she wasn’t still out there…

 

“whatever happens we stick together, cheryl. i know you’re the supreme and you pack way more heat than i do, but i’ve got your back if you’ve got mine.” josie says firmly, pulling cheryl’s attention away from the window she’s staring out of as she turns her head to look at josie with a small smile.

 

“i’ve got your back too, josie. let’s just pray this doesn’t turn into a fight…if we see antoinette, we grab her and leave as inconspicuously as we can.” josie nods once, exhaling shakily as she grips the steering wheel tighter before they pass the sign that welcomes them to the southside of riverdale.

 

_get the girl, get out…_

 

the scenery almost immediately changes, from green lawns and white picket fence houses to trash getting caught in the wind and floating over the dirt ridden roads, an almost eerie sense of danger clinging to the air that has a shiver running up cheryl’s spine almost immediately.

 

she’s never been to the southside before, never ventured to this part of riverdale. her mother forbade it, said the southside was nothing but a poor, roach infested slum town where the criminals and the rapists lived…

 

the thought has cheryl going over everything she knows about magic in her mind quickly, making sure she doesn’t miss a single thing. her mother may have kept her magic limited as a child, but cheryl’s taught herself everything she knows. her mother never taught her anything, tried to keep her from her own magic in fear that she’d become more powerful and take over as supreme, but it happened anyway.

 

because this was cheryl’s destiny from the moment she was born. her powers were always going to grow, but without the lessons she gave herself, cheryl’s quite sure she wouldn’t be quite as powerful as she is right now…

 

“oh my god…” josie suddenly whispers, pulling cheryl out of her thoughts as she looks at josie before following her gaze out of the front window. 

 

_good lord…_

 

it’s a bar.

 

but it’s not just any bar. there’s gigantic neon signs, one of them a goddamn pinup girl flashing pink and blue as her skirt billows with each flash, a red neon sign above it indicating the name of the bar.

 

‘THE WHYTE WYRM.’

 

and below that, another neon sign that says:

 

‘OPEN FROM DUSK TILL DAWN.’

 

_open from sunset to sunrise…clever little vampires…_

 

cheryl bites down on her bottom lip, exchanges a glance with josie as she slows the car down to a stop with a shaky breath. 

 

there’s cars all over the parking lot, and there’s a small group of people that exit a cab and immediately begin clamoring to make their way into the bar with gigantic smiles on their faces, but they look excited, not remotely malicious or evil in any way-

 

“they’re humans.” cheryl breathes, watching as josie nods with a frown on her face and pulls into one of the spots, one thought on both their minds…

 

what were humans doing in a vampire bar?

 

cheryl’s heart drops, the worst thought possible popping into her mind, but she simply swallows the lump in her throat, doesn’t divulge it to josie for fear of what her reaction will be as the car comes to a stop and cheryl unclips her seatbelt. 

 

“we walk in, we get some seats, scope the place out a little, see if we can find antoinette…hopefully these humans will be enough of a distraction from us…cheryl, if we can’t find her, we should ask questions-.”

 

“that’s not a good idea, josie. we’ll eavesdrop, see if anyone mentions her, but if we ask questions, it’ll raise suspicion.” josie purses her lips but says nothing, and cheryl steps out of the bar, heeled boots clacking on the dirt road as josie does the same on the driver’s side. 

 

she understands josie’s desperation to find out what happened to this girl, but cheryl refuses to do anything that puts them in danger. and asking questions is something she _knows_ will do exactly that.

 

josie clutches her purse to her waist, but other than that, she’s calm and collected, full of confidence as she waits for cheryl to walk around the car before they both begin making their way to the front steps of the bar.

 

a voodoo witch and the supreme. cheryl knows they pack a lot of power, but still…

 

“i don’t like not knowing what’s waiting for us in there.” cheryl murmurs under her breath, a chill running up her spine at the humans that almost push past them in an effort to get to the bar with giddy excitement, and josie licks her lips and simply loops her arm into cheryl’s, snuggling close to her and catching her off guard as she smiles through her words to mask the intention behind them.

 

“i don’t either, but antoinette needs us. now big smile…we’re a happy couple enjoying a night out.” 

 

cheryl rolls her eyes, but joins the throng of people as the double doors that lead into the bar are pushed open by someone in front of them.

 

the immediate energy that hits her causes bile to rise in the back of her throat.

 

it’s an eerie kind of sadness, an almost haunting aura of death that hits her heart and causes it to pound painfully against her chest. she stumbles only slightly from the impact, her eyes fluttering closed as a wave of grief and anguish and pain hits her-

 

god, if there’s one power she wishes she had more control over, it’s this one-

 

“i know, i feel it, too, but stay cool, focus on the job at hand…” josie says in a low voice, playing it off as a teasing whisper into her ear with a smile as cheryl purses her lips and swallows thickly before smiling as best she can, playing along into this little façade as she gazes around the bar in a mixture of wonder and panic.

 

there’s people _everywhere._

 

and not all of them are human. 

 

cheryl has no idea what’s going on, where these people have come from or why they’re here, but it’s a crowded bar. 

 

and the realization both terrifies her and fills her with relief. 

 

because if it’s a crowded bar, they might just be able to get away with this…might just be able to slink into the shadows and get the information about antoinette that they need.

 

but they’re not all human, she can feel it…and if not all of them are human, then that means the rest of them are _culebras…_

 

god, they need to make this quick, as quick as possible…

 

she has no idea what antoinette looks like, and josie has next to no memories of the girl, only a photo her mother showed her to go off of that cheryl wishes she had brought with her, but she hadn’t. she has no idea what to look for, but a quick glance around the bar tells her that antoinette isn’t here.

 

because she can’t feel the presence of another witch at all. only josie right beside her…there’s no magic in this place but hers and josie’s, so antoinette can’t be here…

 

a wave of nausea hits her once again, a nausea that she’s felt once before, but it’s intensified, almost as if the dial on that feeling has been turned up to ten, and she knows, she just _knows_ it’s from the energy that quickly shifts into focus over the panic and anguish and grief she’s been feeling for the last minute from the second she walked in here.

 

this energy is wicked, sadistic, depraved…

 

her eyes move from the bar to the far left side of the room where there’s a small group of humans, across to the many chairs and tables scattered across the main floor, to the stage on the main floor at the back of the room, and finally, over to the right to a section that’s roped off, plush couches and loveseats occupying that area.

 

her brown eyes meet equally dark ones, and suddenly, cheryl feels like a bucket of cold ice has been thrown over the top of her.

 

the man looks no older than his mid-thirties, perhaps early forties, his brown hair slicked back and the smirk on his face widening as he watches cheryl with wonder, and beside him is a younger boy, perhaps the same age as veronica, a beanie slung over his head, covering dark locks as he leans into the man’s ear to whisper something before his grey eyes are moving over to a young group of girls sitting by one of the tables on the main floor, the wicked smile on his face sending a shiver up cheryl’s spine.

 

the wave of nausea that hits her intensifies as the older man’s brown eyes don’t leave hers, and it’s not the same nausea she felt when she encountered that vampire two years ago, but it’s definitely somehow _worse_ than that. cheryl tightens her hold on josie and finally tears her gaze away with a shudder, hiding it into a giggle as she buries her face into the side of josie’s neck before whispering into her ear.

 

“those two men up by the roped off section…they’re not vampires, but they’re not human, either.” cheryl murmurs, sighing shakily as she feels josie’s back stiffen against her hand that’s resting on the girl’s lower back. 

 

“you think they’re _culebras_?” josie mumbles back, and cheryl simply nods in response before she’s straightening up once more and leading josie over to one of the tables, her eyes cautiously roaming over the entire bar and that nauseating feeling still resting low in her stomach. they sit down, cheryl taking in every person in the bar her eyes can reach.

 

it spikes up every once in a while when her eyes move over someone else…the man behind the bar, two men standing near the bathrooms, wicked glints in their eyes…men, all men, every single one of these monsters…

 

she can’t be alive, it’s impossible…those men probably tore her apart the second they got their hands on her…

 

“josie, i don’t think she’s here…i can’t feel magical energy anywhere.” cheryl says softly, gripping josie’s hand on top of the table top and leaning in closer to her with her heart thundering against her chest in panic, but also in sadness. it seems impossible that antoinette would be kept alive amongst this group of men, cheryl counts at least twenty to twenty five of them-

 

“i want confirmation, cheryl, and i’m not leaving until i get it.” josie says through gritted teeth. cheryl wants to argue, but she can’t bring it in herself to do so. antoinette meant a lot to josie, her entire coven’s future was riding on her being alive…she understands why josie doesn’t want to give this up without knowing for sure, and cheryl’s willing to stay, but she needs to think of her own coven as well…

 

“we’ll get our answers, josie. one way or another…but don’t do anything rash.” cheryl murmurs, glancing quickly around the bar before josie scoffs beside her and nods.

 

“got it.” she grunts out, perhaps wondering why she’s taking orders from a supreme, but cheryl ignores it and continues observing the area around them, her eyes always straying back to that roped off section with that man and that young boy…

 

it’s silent for a few more moments, josie and cheryl continuing to play the part of cute couple enjoying a night out while soft music plays from the speakers all around them, and they avoid any eye contact with any of the _culebras_ , the both of them confident that they can keep each other safe despite the slight panic that grips them both.

 

after all, they’re facing something unknown here, but cheryl is so in touch with her magic, she knows she can keep herself and josie safe. she’s more worried about everyone else…why were these humans here? what drew them to such an evil, dark location?

 

josie eventually sucks in a shaky breath before leaning in closer to cheryl to whisper into her ear.

 

“there’s two guys by the bathrooms in the far left corner, they’re blocking a door that looks like it leads somewhere.” 

 

cheryl smiles and stares at her for a few moments, reaches out and begins playing with josie’s fingers intimately before slowly dragging her gaze over to the two men who stand in front of a door to the right of the bathrooms, their bodies still as statues as if they’re guarding it from any intruders…

 

“you think there’s something back there?” cheryl asks, still with that fake smile plastered on her face before she feels josie shift beside her.

 

“only one way to find out-.”

 

“ladies and gentlemen! if we may have your attention, please!”

 

cheryl jumps at the sound of a loud, booming voice, her eyes focusing on the stage where a light now shines on the young boy who was with the older man in the roped off section before, his grey eyes shining with something that causes the hairs on the back of cheryl’s neck to stand as he sweeps them over the entire bar with a wide grin.

 

cheryl hears a few of the _culebras_ gathered around the entire bar begin to cheer and holler loudly, sees a few of the humans look around in confusion, and cheryl feels fear for them grip her heart for reasons she can’t explain…

 

_of course you know why, of course you do…_

 

“we’ve got a great night in store for you, so i’m not going to yammer on too long! i want you all to sit back, enjoy the service, and the scenery…because tonight…tonight is the night where our main attraction puts on a show!” the young boy yells, arms raised as the crowd begins to cheer wildly, cheryl and josie simply clapping along while simultaneously glancing around nervously. 

 

what’s going on?

 

“so without further ado…let me bring out the reason why you’re all here tonight…let me introduce to you…the serpent queen of the whyte wyrm!” the young boy steps back, making his way off the stage to loud cheers and clapping as the spotlight moves over to the back of the stage where a sheer curtain covers the back from view-

 

a figure steps into place, the lights dimming before fire erupts from torches placed all over the bar and on either side of the stage, cheryl flinching at the sound and the heat that hits her as the curtains draw back to reveal-

 

a young girl, about the same age as cheryl, a large green snake curled around her shoulders as the sound of a guitar echoes out loudly, settling into a soft beat before the fire burns brighter and the girl steps into view of the spotlight.

 

_oh my…_

 

cheryl feels like her whole body is doused into the fire that’s erupting on either side of the stage, the goosebumps rising on her skin causing a shiver to run up her spine as she takes in the sight before her in a mixture of wonder and awe. 

 

smooth, caramel skin, and god, _so much of it…_ exposed and flashing against the orange light of the fire, strong thighs and curved hips with only a silver thong and a matching colored bra that covers almost nothing hiding all of her body from view, full breasts that bounce slightly as the girl sways her hips in time with the music, collarbones jutting out underneath brown skin and a taut neck as slim arms allow the snake on her shoulders to curl over them, move in time with her, and oh, god…

 

the flames burn brighter, curl higher, and it’s then that cheryl notices just a bit more…how her ribs seem to poke out just a little too prominently against the skin beneath her breasts…the bones of her inner elbow also poking out, hips bones stretching beneath her flesh, she’s skinny, so, so skinny…how her body seems to move to the music almost drunkenly, like she barely has the energy to keep herself up, and how her head lolls and the snake seems to curl around her possessively…

 

but despite her body, it’s her eyes…it’s her _eyes_ , that pull cheryl in.

 

chocolate brown, flashing from the fire in a way that cheryl can’t explain, cheryl’s own eyes trailing down a slender nose to full pink lips, to a sharp jawline and dark brown hair that curls down the back of her neck, but those _eyes_ pull her back in once again…

 

cheryl’s never seen anything like it.

 

her eyes are so…haunted. oh god…it’s a mixture of pain and anguish and something else that hurts cheryl to even _look_ at…

 

when the girl turns, her hips moving in time to the beat as she holds the snake up, cheryl’s eyes land on her back, on the way her spine seems to jut out from underneath her taut skin, on the black and blue bruises on her hips and the back of her thighs that seem to shine from the fire that continues to roar on either side of her, and that same nausea from before rises in her once more, but it’s tenfold now, cheryl physically having to swallow the bile down-

 

she doesn’t even notice the tight grip josie has on her hand, doesn’t hear her soft gasp before she’s leaning in to cheryl’s ear and whispering:

 

“fuck, cheryl! it’s her! it’s antoinette! it’s her!”

 

cheryl doesn’t even need the confirmation: she knew the second she laid eyes on her that this is the girl they’ve been looking for, the girl who has taken up every ounce of her mind for the last week of her life…

 

but…but it _can’t_ be.

 

she’s young. too young. she looks to be the same age as cheryl, and it can’t be, because she was _kidnapped twenty years ago at cheryl’s age_ -

 

“she hasn’t aged a day.” josie breathes, confirming cheryl’s thoughts as she purses her lips and swallows the lump in her throat, her eyes still never leaving the girl’s as she turns back around with this smile that doesn’t match her eyes, the chocolate brown depths narrowed as they sweep over the crowd watching her in a trance, the way her hips move, the way her body sways and her eyes-

 

her eyes tell a story that cheryl finds herself clinging to, every non-verbal word spoken through them hitting her like a tidal wave over and over again. 

 

something’s wrong here, something’s very wrong…

 

antoinette’s eyes move over to josie before they finally land on cheryl.

 

the feeling that spreads through her body is something cheryl’s never felt before when their eyes meet for the first time. 

 

it’s a strange warmth that seems to flood her, one that she thinks must be from the fire burning on either side of the stage, orange flames fanning out and licking the air of moisture and making sweat build on her brow despite the cold january air outside the bar. but it’s something else…something that she can’t blame on fire, something that hits her heart, her soul, her brain fried and incapable of comprehension skills, words scrambled and no longer running through her brain as she just stares and stares…

 

the girl’s eyes narrow in wonder, her hips stuttering slightly in their movement as she stares back at cheryl just as intensely, and cheryl hears the sound of a low growl somewhere to the right of her over the loud music, sees antoinette’s eyes snap over to the sound before she’s wincing and dancing even more furiously with a breathless gasp, desperate to please whoever had growled in disapproval-

 

cheryl finally tears her gaze away from antoinette to stare over to the right in wonder, where that man from before is watching antoinette with a clenched jaw and a stare that has cheryl’s heart clenching painfully.

 

it’s an angered gaze, one filled with malice, sadistic and twisted to the point where cheryl immediately finds herself wondering if he’s the one who placed those bruises on antoinette’s skin with his fists…

 

the thought ignites an anger in her she never thought was possible as his eyes move from antoinette to cheryl herself, and cheryl only just manages to move her eyes away, move them back to antoinette with flushed cheeks of anger and her bottom lip caught between her teeth to stop herself from using every iota of magic she has in her to burn him to the ground as antoinette avoids eye contact with her completely, her eyes cast downwards and focusing on the dance, drops of sweat dripping down her skin as the crowd before them hollers and cheers, clearly entertained-

 

oh god, this is torture of the worst kind. antoinette can barely stand, cheryl can see how she’s swaying, how she’s stumbling slightly on the stage as if she’s had maybe a few too many shots of tequila, the sweat dripping off her body shining from the fire that continues to burn around her, and the snake on her shoulders looks heavy, too, continues to slither over her arms and her chest and her waist, possibly squeezing more of what little life she has left in her with each rotation around her slim form…

 

the _culebras_ around the room are watching her with this hungered look in their eyes that has cheryl swallowing bile down once more, the thought of what those looks mean making her skin itch and her eyes water with tears, and she notices how antoinette’s eyes meet the man’s by the roped off section, sees her bottom lip tremble slightly before she’s gritting her teeth and continuing to push herself to dance more seductively despite the fact that she looks like she’s on the verge of collapsing-

 

_i can’t do this, we need to get her out of here-_

 

cheryl barely registers the sound of josie’s angered hiss beside her as the voodoo witch takes in the sight before her as well, barely notices how she slowly stands from her chair and reaches into her purse…

 

cheryl’s so enraptured by antoinette’s movements, so captivated by antoinette _herself_ , it isn’t until the girl pauses, her movements stilling in front of the entire crowd of people watching her as she looks down at cheryl and josie in panic that cheryl finally turns to face her friend-

 

and finds her lighting a pouch on fire, murmuring under her breath with her eyes rolling in the back of her head before she’s throwing the pouch to the front of the stage, where a bang echoes out around the bar, mingling with the screams of surprise until everything is covered in nothing but grey smoke, a thick fog that blankets the air and immediately blinds everyone around them-

 

“WITCHES!” cheryl hears someone scream loudly, a deep guttural growl before there’s the sound of screams and hissing.

 

“GET THE GIRL!” cheryl hears someone else roar from the right, and she has no doubt in her mind that it’s that horrid man who’s been watching her and antoinette this entire time-

 

cheryl immediately jumps up, taps into that energy inside her to clear her path for her, eyes slowly able to see through the cloud of smoke while also reaching for the belt of her coat, untying it and jumping up onto the stage as quickly as she can and never removing her eyes from antoinette, who stumbles back towards the curtain with a panicked whimper as the snake around her shoulders drops to the ground with a hiss and slithers away-

 

“antoinette, wait! we’re here to help you!” cheryl cries out, reaching out until her warm fingers wrap around a very, very cold wrist-

 

oh, god. the spark…the spark of electricity…

 

before she even has time to dwell on it, cheryl hears a growl to the left of her, and she’s lifting a hand and flinging it backwards with a growl of her own, the body rushing towards her flying backwards and slamming into the back wall before it crumples to the floor.

 

cheryl only now registers the panicked screams around her, and she turns back to antoinette, whose eyes move from the fingers wrapped around her wrist up to cheryl’s eyes, chocolate brown eyes staring into equally dark ones, and god, the look in them-

 

cheryl can’t read it for the life of her. there’s just… _nothing._ she looks…defeated, so, so weak, swaying on the spot with her eyelashes fluttering and her breaths escaping her in weak pants-

 

“CHERYL!? MOVE YOUR ASS!” josie screams behind her, causing cheryl to jump as another explosion sounds out, and cheryl spins around, sees josie with a group of men surrounding her, closing in on her as she raises another pouch from her bag-

 

cheryl growls under her breath and forms a circle of fire around josie with barely a thought, the flames erupting from thin air and rising high in a protective circle around her. josie flinches in surprise as the _culebras_ back away in fear from the circle of red that’s exploded before their eyes, their growls getting louder, and all the humans are scattering towards the entrance, but the doors are blocked by another group of the mutated vampires, their grins wicked and sadistic as they laugh while the humans scream in panic-

 

cheryl can see their faces are contorted, scales of some kind covering their faces as fangs protrude from the canines of their mouths and the hissing sound that escapes them is so terrifying, golden eyes shining into slits-

 

_snakes…they’re snakes…more serpent than vampire…_

 

they’re attacking the humans, screams of pain and anguish echoing around the room as they attempt to flee, but barely get a few steps away, and cheryl feels tears well in her eyes, can barely see throught he thick fog but still watches on in despair, watches a group of humans being cornered by the young boy who announced antoinette to the stage, watches rough fingers being tangled into hair before heads are being pulled to the side to expose their necks-

 

she has to help them-

 

“where do you think you’re going with her?” 

 

cheryl blanches at the sound of a voice to her left and a hand reaching for her neck, and she bares her teeth and turns, comes face to face with the man who’s been watching them as his eyes reduce to slits and his mouth opens with two teeth elongating right before her eyes-

 

“i don’t think so!”

 

the man bursts into flames before he can so much as touch her, a howl of anguish escaping him as he stumbles back, and cheryl smirks triumphantly, is prepared to burn him into nothing but ash-

 

“CHERYL!? NOW!” josie screams again.

 

cheryl’s grip on antoinette’s wrist tightens, but her heart is pounding against her chest as she glances back at the man as the flames die out, the burns on his skin evident as he screams in pain and tosses and turns on the ground-

 

“DAD?!” cheryl looks up in surprise, sees the boy with the beanie glaring at her with nothing but hatred, and cheryl’s ready to bring every inch of fire and brimstone she can muster, but the young boy is already dropping the human girl he had his teeth sunk into just a second ago, making his way over to them, and god, cheryl’s going to throw up-

 

cheryl feels something heavy sag against the back of her arm and shoulder, and she turns to see antoinette’s eyes rolling into the back of her head, her brow furrowed and her shoulders slacking-

 

she’s weak, she’s too weak…

 

_they came here for her…_

 

but those humans…fuck, fuck, fuck-

 

“shit…” cheryl shrugs her coat off quickly, throws it over antoinette’s arms before she’s wrapping an arm around her waist and grabbing a slim, caramel colored arm to drape over her shoulders, dragging antoinette off the stage as quickly and as carefully as possible, the boy crouches down before his father with worry, and the second one of the _culebras_ comes running toward her, a boy with a mop of black hair and a snake tattoo on his neck, cheryl sends him flying so far back with her powers, he hits into the alcohol on the back wall of the bar, bottles exploding on impact and causing the liquid contents to fall to the ground.

 

cheryl lights it on fire with a simple thought, the entire bar engulfing in flames as cheryl lowers the ring of fire around josie and ushers her towards the entrance with a shout, where the _culebras_ are waiting for them-

 

josie runs straight for the door with no hesitation, no fear, throwing a pouch at the _culebras_ standing in their way and watching as it explodes on impact, sending some of them flying for cover, not wanting to suffer the same fate as the man they’ve left behind as cheryl drags antoinette closer to the door, sparking a trail of fire behind her to keep the other _culebras_ away before she bares her teeth and blasts the locked doors to complete and utter smithereens.

 

wood splinters all over the place, flying around the bar and outside into the parking lot, and a few of the humans manage to escape, rushing towards their cars as quickly as they can with panicked screams and whimpers, and god, cheryl’s head is spinning wildly, but she tries her best to ignore the screams of pain behind her, tries not to let it consume her as they burst through the front door and make their way straight for josie’s car, down the concrete steps with cheryl carrying antoinette along-

 

“keys, hurry, josie!” cheryl pants, gripping antoinette’s wrist tightly as she feels the girl sag more and more against her the further away from the bar they get until they reach josie’s car-

 

“fuck! one of the tires is slashed!” josie screams in panic, but cheryl simply shakes her head and reaches for the handle of the backseat door before she pulls it open.

 

“i can fix it, check the other tires for slashes!” she says quickly, her arm gripping antoinette’s waist tighter as the one around her wrist lowers down to brush over the rubber of the tire, her thoughts focused on allowing the material to form back together-

 

the rubber seems to just melt back into place, cheryl also manipulating the air around her to inflate the tire once more before she adjusts her hold on antoinette and helps her settle into the backseat slowly and carefully.

 

“here, lay down, we’re going to get you to safety, antoinette…i promise.” cheryl whispers, but antoinette barely hears her, is shivering in the backseat with her brow furrowed as she lays against it, and cheryl moves her coat over antoinette’s body to cover it completely, her small, trembling frame making cheryl’s heart ache as the red haired girl bends her knees up to fit into the car before she slams the door shut and dashes to the passenger seat just as josie enters the car.

 

“the other tires are fine, let’s go!”

 

cheryl pauses at the sound of a blood curdling scream from inside the bar, her heart clenching at the sound-

 

“CHERYL! WE CAN’T HELP THEM! GET IN THE GODDAMN CAR!” josie shouts, and cheryl lets her tears of despair fall before she throws the door open and jumps into the car, keeping a line of fire at the door of the bar to stop the _culebras_ from following them…

 

those humans…they’re dying, they’re trapped in there, and god, there’s no doubt in her mind that the other humans that escaped will be hunted down, has no doubt their tires were also slashed to prevent them from escaping, forcing them to flee on foot where they will likely be chased across the southside for fun…this was a game to those monsters, and god knows how long they’ve been doing this for, how has cheryl not heard about this, why didn’t she do something sooner, how many people have died at the hands of these creatures-

 

“those people…josie, those people-.”

 

“they’ve probably been doing this for years, cheryl. there’s nothing we could’ve done to save them.” josie sighs, her grip on the steering wheel tightening as cheryl sinks into her seat and closes her eyes to stop herself from crying over josie confirming her worst fears as they pull out of the parking lot at top speed.

 

she should’ve done something…she’s the goddamn supreme-

 

“we should go back, we should help them-.”

 

“we go back, we’re dead! think of your girls, cheryl! they need their supreme! i feel horrible about it too, but there’s nothing we can do. we got what we went there for, we…god, she’s…” josie seems to trail off, her eyes unfocused and glazed over before she exhales deeply and shakes her head in disbelief. cheryl lets go of the magic keeping the fire at the bar when they get too far away for her to keep it going, a breathless pant escaping her as she looks into her rearview mirror to see the bar become nothing but a speck behind them…

 

“i don’t understand, cheryl. she hasn’t aged a day, how is this possible?” josie breathes, glancing into the backseat with worry as cheryl hears antoinette’s soft whimpers. cheryl swallows thickly and shakes her head before she turns in her seat, her eyes falling onto antoinette as well, who shrugs the coat closer to her almost naked body, and cheryl can barely take her eyes off her, the wonder and the awe returning to replace her anguish as she stares at the girl’s shivering form.

 

cheryl knows a lot of things, being the supreme, but this…

 

“i don’t know, josie…for once in my life, i have no idea.” 

 

the ride back to the academy is only filled with antoinette’s soft whimpers in the backseat.

 

other than that, cheryl and josie are silent, both girls trying to wrap their minds over what the fuck just happened with only the occasional look back at the girl who hasn’t spoken a word to either of them yet, still shivering and trembling underneath cheryl’s coat as the supreme watches her with concern.

 

she doesn’t understand. how has antoinette not aged a single day since she was kidnapped? how is she still alive after all these years? why was she so weak? what were the _culebras_ doing to her?

 

that last question she thinks she may have some answers to…it’s clear they were using antoinette as some kind of entertainment to draw people, no…to draw _humans_ into the bar, to lure them in so that those goddamn monsters could feed on them and get their fill of blood for the day…

 

but the way those men were staring at her, the way that man at the roped off section with the young boy, the way they were staring at antoinette, too…the way that man had yelled for them to grab antoinette first before anything, the way that man had rushed towards her to stop her from taking antoinette away…

 

she was valuable to them.

 

antoinette whimpers loudly, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, and cheryl can’t help herself. she reaches out, her hand resting over the top of antoinette’s arm, rubbing up and down over the fabric of the coat soothingly with a soft smile as antoinette’s eyes focus on her for a brief moment, her bottom lip trembling.

 

“you’re safe, antoinette. i promise…you never have to go back there ever again, okay? we’re taking you somewhere where you’ll be protected…” cheryl says softly, her voice cracking slightly for lack of use for the last ten minutes, and antoinette stares at her for a long time before her eyes are rolling into the back of her head again, her brow furrowing once more while cheryl watches her with worry and lets out a shaky sigh of her own. she gives a little bit of her own energy over to antoinette, and she feels the girl shiver against her before she groans loudly, whining and curling into herself further as cheryl feels herself sag tiredly against the seat from the energy she’s depleted.

 

“something’s wrong with her…” cheryl murmurs, pulling her hand away with a frown as josie scoffs and shakes her head with her teeth bared in anger.

 

“have you seen how thin she is? god only knows what they’ve been doing to her over the years.” josie growls, her fingers gripping the wheel in rage as cheryl bites down on her bottom lip and nods slowly.

 

“we’ll get her some food…if she doesn’t improve, i’ll call a doctor.” 

 

josie doesn’t say anything, and cheryl steals one last glance at the small girl before she turns back to face the front as the gates of the blossom estate slowly come into view. she opens the gates herself, her body sagging in fatigue against the seat from the magic she’s used tonight as josie pulls into the driveway slowly, her shoulders only tensing up more as the car comes to a stop. 

 

josie gets out first, cheryl following suite as josie opens the backseat door on her side and reaches out for the shivering girl laid on top of the backseat.

 

“antoinette? we’re here, let’s get you inside and warm you up…” josie says softly, reaching out to hook her hands underneath antoinette’s shoulders to help her out of the car as carefully and as gently as possible. antoinette’s body drags across the leather, another groan escaping her, but the energy cheryl gave her seems to have given her enough of a boost for her to grip josie’s hand and pull herself out the rest of the way. she settles on her feet eventually, her whole body shaking and her teeth chattering from the cold as cheryl rushes over and shrugs her own coat closer around antoinette’s body, smoothing her hands up her back for warmth before the girl looks up at the house in wonder-

 

a high pitched scream of panic escapes the girl between cheryl and josie, her eyes wide as antoinette, in a crazy show of strength, suddenly rips herself out of josie and cheryl’s grasp, her screams tapering off into sobs and choked out gasps as cheryl and josie look at her in in complete and utter shock.

 

what on earth-

 

“antoinette, it’s safe here, i promise! you’re safe! i’m from your coven, my name is josie mccoy-.”

 

antoinette doesn’t listen, turns her back and begins stumbling toward the gate, clearly desperate to the get as far away from here as possible, and josie exchanges a glance with cheryl before she’s rushing forward.

 

“antoinette, wait!” josie reaches out, her hand gripping antoinette’s shoulder to pull her back-

 

the girl spins around with the most guttural growl cheryl’s ever heard, and the way her eyes flash golden before they turn yellow, reduced to slits as her face seems to contort and change shape, the scales of a snake taking over her beautiful features-

 

she bares her teeth, canines protruding as she hisses loudly at them-

 

“JOSIE!”

 

cheryl grabs the voodoo witch and pulls her back out of antoinette’s reach from pure instinct, her heart pounding against her chest wildly, feels josie shaking against her, feels her own body trembling as they take in the sight before them.

 

oh god…oh god, oh god, this isn’t possible, it isn’t fucking _possible_ , how is this possible-

 

antoinette’s eyes roll into the back of her head once more before she sways, and before she can collapse to the ground, cheryl rushes forward on instinct, a choked out whine escaping her as antoinette falls into her arms limply, her eyes fluttering closed as the scales on her face slowly seems to fade, her canines shrinking back to normal size while cheryl watches it all happen in utter disbelief.

 

the girl’s body is cold against her own, the coat fluttering with the wind as cheryl stares down at her without any idea of what the fuck is going on.

 

she...she’s a _culebra_ , her eyes, her teeth, her _face_ , it all changed, fuck, fuck, fuck-

 

“she’s…cheryl…” josie stutters out behind her, the both of them unable to comprehend how any of this is even remotely possible because it just can’t be, it just can’t-

 

the words escape cheryl in a choked out gasp, this utterly defeating feeling gripping her tightly and making her head pound and her heart ache.

 

“she’s one of them, josie, they…they turned her.”


	3. one hell of a crazy witch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is coming a day early for you guys because i'm gonna be crazy busy tomorrow so i'm pretty sure i won't get the chance to upload it then :( next update will be next wednesday though! 
> 
> hope you guys like this one, it's a lot of explaining and backstory, but read between the lines and you'll see some cute shit *finger guns* 
> 
> leave a comment letting me know what you think or you can message me on twitter at @endofdaysforme! catch you later!
> 
> tw: slight mentions of suicidal thoughts

“this isn’t possible! how the fuck is this possible!?”

 

josie continues pacing, up and down, up and down with her hands gripping her hair in frustration and her eyes set on the red haired woman seated a few feet away from her in a chair, but cheryl’s barely paying any attention to her.

 

all her focus is on the small body curled up on top of the mattress in the corner of the basement inside thornhill manor, cheryl’s coat still draped over antoinette’s body, covering her golden colored skin from view, but the girl is barely moving in her state of unconsciousness, only her chest rising and falling with each breath in that she takes.

 

cheryl doesn’t even know what to think, can barely breathe right now as her mind continues spinning wildly with an explanation on just what the hell is going on. 

 

none of this makes sense, none of it. how is she…how is she one of them? _how-_

 

“cheryl?! how the hell did they turn her?! witches are immune to vampire toxin, none of this makes any sense!” josie shouts, voicing cheryl’s exact thoughts at this point in time, and at the sound of her raised voice echoing in the almost empty room, cheryl’s gaze finally snaps away from antoinette to the voodoo witch in anger.

 

“keep it down, my girls are sleeping!” she hisses, her eyes shifting to the door up the stairs behind them josie purses her lips before cheryl, at the sound of none of her girls rousing from josie’s raised volume, turns her attention back to antoinette. the girl shifts under cheryl’s coat, but her breathing is still even, her body not twitching like it was before in the car ride over here as cheryl licks her lips and runs her fingers through her hair.

 

witches can’t be turned, so how…how is antoinette here as one of those things-

 

“cheryl? can you stop disappearing off to fantasy land right now? i want answers! witches can’t be turned, everyone knows that, so how-.”

 

“i don’t know, josie!” cheryl snaps, letting out a sigh of frustration as the voodoo witch rolls her eyes and shakes her head. cheryl doesn’t have the answers, is just as desperate to figure this out…

 

“great, just great…” 

 

“i…maybe these _culebras_ work differently, maybe their venom is more potent or something…” cheryl murmurs, her back tensing as antoinette shifts once more, every iota of her attention on the girl before her as josie scoffs once again behind her.

 

“nothing can change a witch, cheryl, nothing can make a witch into…into this, into-.”

 

“a monster.” cheryl finishes with a sigh, her head tilting slightly to the side as she watches antoinette turn under her coat once more in wonder, her brown hair falling over her face that cheryl has a maddening urge to read down and brush back for reasons she can’t explain.

 

“only humans can be turned, it doesn’t make sense-.”

 

“i know, josie! i know, i’ve been…god, i’ve been _trying_ to come up with an answer for the last hour and a half, but i don’t have one, okay?! all i know is she’s here now, and we need to make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone!” cheryl says angrily, not meaning to at all, it’s just that josie keeps asking her for answers and she _doesn’t have any._

 

because she’s right. josie’s fucking right, vampire toxin _can’t_ turn a witch or anyone with a drop of magic in their veins, and if antoinette was set to become the next voodoo queen, then she had more than just a goddamn drop of magic in her, she was technically voodoo royalty, in the same way that cheryl was destined to become the next supreme after her mother…she should be just as powerful as cheryl is, and yet she was turned by these _culebras_? it doesn’t make sense, cheryl doesn’t understand it…

 

“well, we can’t give her back to them-.”

 

“of course not! they were torturing her! she’s skin and bones, josie!” cheryl growls, shaking her head in disbelief at the mere _thought_ of giving this girl back to her captors. she doesn’t care if antoinette is technically a monster, is technically something horrible and wicked and vile, this girl is a _victim_ in cheryl’s eyes, it’s so evident in the way she’s malnourished, in the way she had whimpered under the gaze of that man who was watching her dance, her terrified eyes watching him with fear…

 

“then we have to wake her up! she’s the one with answers! here…” josie fishes in her bag for something, and cheryl tenses up, thinking she’s about to throw some kind of pouch to light the girl on fire to wake her up, but instead, she pulls out a vial of some red looking liquid, uncapping it and apprehensively approaching antoinette, and cheryl feels herself tense up even more.

 

“josie, be careful-.”

 

“just keep an eye on her and light her ass up if she bites me!” josie hisses, causing cheryl to purse her lips and roll her eyes, but do as she’s told, her eyes watching intently and her heart pounding as josie mumbles under her breath and holds the vial under antoinette’s nose, the girl taking a deep breath in-

 

she bolts upright with a loud gasp, and cheryl immediately grabs by the collar of her shirt and tugs her back, standing from the chair she’s sitting on and pulling josie behind her, and despite her fatigue, she still taps into that little bit of energy she has left, that magic that rests inside her that could easily light this girl to flames if she tries anything, even if she’s struggling to keep her eyes open.

 

_if antoinette attacks, you do what josie said, cheryl…light her ass up!_

 

but, much to her surprise, antoinette looks up with wide eyes that immediately begin to water before she’s suddenly pushing herself further away from them, her knees drawing up to her chest as cheryl’s coat drops from her body and leaves her almost completely exposed from how little she’s wearing.

 

cheryl swallows the lump in her throat, tries to stop her eyes from wandering over the exposed caramel skin of antoinette’s body because _god,_ now is so not the time to be staring, and antoinette shivers and hugs her knees before looking up at cheryl and josie with a look that cheryl thinks is supposed to be intimidating, her teeth clenched and her eyes blazing with anger.

 

“hey, we want answers! how the hell are you one of those things?!” josie asks angrily and very, very bluntly, moving past cheryl to get closer to antoinette, and cheryl sighs and grips josie’s wrist to stop her, watching as antoinette flinches from josie’s advances and sinks even further against the wall her back is pressed to.

 

“josie, just…let me handle this.” cheryl murmurs with exasperation, watching as the voodoo witch scoffs and looks at her with a raised eyebrow before she’s rolling her eyes and grumbling under her breath. cheryl doesn’t catch a word she says, is too focused on the way antoinette is curling in on herself further and further against the brick wall, and she frowns and inches forward just a little closer before squatting down to her knees beside the mattress as she watches antoinette apprehensively. 

 

the girl watches her every movement with wide eyes, the anger in them only blazing harder at the sight of her, and cheryl licks her lips before she clenches her jaw and finally finds the words to say.

 

“antoinette, we’re…we’re not going to hurt you, okay?” 

 

“ha! we will if you try anything!” josie scoffs behind her, and cheryl throws her a glare to get her to shut the hell up because _she’s really not helping_ , one that josie clearly understands, because she simply shakes her head, but continues pacing back and forth silently while cheryl sighs in an attempt to relax herself, facing antoinette once more. 

 

“we’re just…we’re confused, antoinette. how is this possible? you’re a witch, and witches can’t be turned by vampire toxin, everyone knows that…how is it possible that they turned you into one of _them_ , when you’re a witch? or _were_ a witch, i…i guess…” cheryl looks back at josie helplessly, watches as she frowns and stops pacing to observe antoinette’s reaction.

 

the brunette girl simply clenches her jaw before she’s resting her chin on top of her knees and looking away from cheryl, a slight huff escaping her as she hugs her knees impossibly closer to her chest. she still looks weak, sweat glistening on her brow and her eyes hollow and sunken in, and she sniffs and wipes at her nose, but still refuses to look their way as cheryl purses her lips and inches just a little closer, her fingers gripping the edge of the mattress.

 

“antoinette, please…we’re witches, too, we went to that bar tonight to _save_ you. this…this is josie mccoy, she’s from new orleans, from _your_ coven!” cheryl says, pointing at josie with a smile, who scoffs once again before cheryl throws her another glare that has her sighing and looking to antoinette with a frown.

 

“i came here to find you because our coven is dying. we need our voodoo queen, our _true_ voodoo queen…but i guess she really did die twenty years ago.” josie mutters. cheryl sighs, closing her eyes and exhaling deeply in an effort to calm herself before turning to look at josie with a glare.

 

she understands josie’s frustration, she really does, but the way she’s acting…

 

“you’re really not helping-.”

 

“oh come on, you expect me to be happy about this?! she’s a monster, she’s not the voodoo queen, she’s _nothing!_ this was a complete waste of our time, we put our necks on the line for _nothing_ , cheryl!” 

 

cheryl’s about to reply, about to say that this wasn’t all for nothing, that they _saved_ someone, but she suddenly hears antoinette gasp softly, her attention turning back to the young girl to see her suddenly staring at cheryl with wide eyes filled with wonder, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip as she looks cheryl up and down in what looks like surprise.

 

“what?” cheryl breathes, looking at her in equal amounts of confusion and shock, and antoinette opens her mouth as if she’s about to say something before she snaps it shut and averts her gaze once more, staring straight ahead with her chin wobbling from its position on top of her knees.

 

josie sighs in frustration behind cheryl, who frowns and contemplates moving forward to get closer before she thinks better of it and simply rests on her haunches, staring at the girl before her in wonder.

 

what was that reaction for? was she perhaps upset about josie saying she was nothing? it’s harsh, cheryl will admit it, but she was kind of right…if antoinette didn’t have any connection to her powers anymore, which she most certainly doesn’t if she’s a _culebra_ , then she was useless to josie now-

 

“can you just say something?!” josie growls, reaching into her purse to pull out a pouch in her anger, and at the sight of antoinette flinching, cheryl jumps up and grabs josie’s wrist to stop her, a shout of anger escaping her before she can stop it before the both of them freeze at the sound of a voice at the top of the stairs that lead into the basement.

 

“she’s scared!” 

 

cheryl looks up in surprise, fingers still wrapped around josie’s wrist tightly to see veronica standing at the door, a look of worry on her face as she descends a few of the steps before cheryl’s letting go of josie and rushing forward with a quick shake of her head, fear gripping her tightly for the raven haired girl’s safety.

 

“veronica, don’t come down here!” cheryl says frantically, holding a hand up to stop her in her tracks, and veronica freezes, her teeth gnawing at her bottom lip before she attempts to look past cheryl with a sigh, eyes narrowing in concentration-

 

“whoever you have down there…she’s scared. i could feel her fear all the way from upstairs, but…she’s not going to hurt you. she was, at first, that’s why i came down here, but as soon as i got to the door, her intentions just…changed. out of nowhere…she won’t hurt you. she’s just scared.” veronica says softly, her eyes portraying some type of guilt and sadness that has cheryl looking back at josie with worry, the voodoo witch frowning before she turns to face antoinette, who is looking up at veronica with her head tilted in surprise, observing her in wonder.

 

“ronnie…go back to bed, try to get to sleep again, okay, sweetheart?” cheryl murmurs, offering her young student a smile, and veronica frowns before she purses her lips and nods once, turning her back and ascending the stairs once more until the door shuts softly behind her. 

 

cheryl grips the railing of the stairs before she sighs in relief, unaware of how tense her body was with veronica here before she turns to face josie, looking past her at antoinette for just a moment to see her chewing on her bottom lip as she watches cheryl apprehensively. 

 

“look, it’s…it’s late, or, well, early morning…we should try and get some rest, it’s been a long night.” cheryl mutters. josie purses her lips, runs her fingers through her hair before she sighs and turns back to antoinette with a frown.

 

she opens her mouth to say something, but appears to think better of it, because she simply sighs again and makes her way past cheryl up the stairs, the door shutting behind her just a little more loudly than it did before when veronica shut it.

 

cheryl looks to antoinette, watches as she stares at cheryl with this look in her eyes that the supreme can’t explain, and cheryl hesitates before she clears her throat and steps closer to the young girl with a sigh, trying to give off a reassuring energy to help calm this girl down.

 

veronica said she’s scared. cheryl doesn’t want to give her a reason to be…god, she should be the one scared right now…

 

“i promise you, antoinette…there’s nothing to be afraid of. i won’t let anyone hurt you, you’re safe here…i know josie’s a little intimidating, but she won’t hurt you, and neither will i. no one’s going to hurt you, i promise. i’ll keep you safe, no matter what. we just…want answers. but it can wait…try to get some sleep, we’ll come and see you in a few hours, okay?” cheryl says softly. antoinette purses her lips, but doesn’t say anything, or even make an inclination that she’s even heard cheryl, so the supreme simply sighs and turns to make her way up the stairs-

 

“thank you…” 

 

the words are spoken so softly, cheryl’s positive she must’ve imagined them, and she pauses, those words hitting her right in the chest as she chokes back a gasp and slowly turns to see antoinette looking up at her, her lips twitching in what looks like a hidden smile.

 

_oh my god…_

 

“i…you’re welcome.” cheryl breathes, offering a small smile of her own before she’s making her way up the stairs in an almost mind numbing daze, pushing the door open to see josie standing by it with a look of worry on her face as she holds a pouch in her hands, shaking it to bring attention to it.

 

“i’m placing this by the door so she can’t get out.” she grunts. cheryl frowns, but says nothing because she kind of agrees with josie, and the voodoo witch sighs and bends down, muttering under her breath as she cups the pouch in her hands before placing it at the door. 

 

cheryl’s about to tell her that antoinette spoke to her, but she decides against it with the words resting on the tip of her tongue, her teeth clutching her bottom lip to stop herself while josie continues her spell. once she’s done, she straightens up, looking to cheryl with another sigh of frustration before she crosses her arms over her chest and leans against the wall.

 

“this is bad, cheryl. how the hell am i supposed to go back home and tell my coven that our last hope is nothing more than a monster with no magic left in her?” josie groans, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she does. cheryl reaches out to grip her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze with a shake of her head.

 

“we can think about that later on in the morning, josie. let’s just try to get a few hours of sleep, alright? we’re exhausted, and my girls are going to be up soon.” cheryl says softly. josie frowns, but nods once, and she sighs and shakes her head, scoffing in disbelief and crossing her arms over her chest as she does.

 

“god, i can’t believe my mother didn’t tell me about this for _years._ our whole coven was so silent about all of this! my mother said it was a touchy subject, but to completely wipe out any mention of this girl until now?! we could’ve saved her years ago!” josie growls. cheryl sighs, but says nothing, simply reaches out and grips josie’s shoulder sympathetically, and josie gives her a small, shaky smile.

 

“look, regardless of everything that’s happened…thank you for helping me tonight, cheryl.” she says softly. cheryl smiles once, whispering a small ‘you’re welcome, and josie gives her a light smile back before the both of them ascend the stairs to their beds to retire for the night, josie turning right at the top of the stairs to the guest bedroom while cheryl makes a left to her own, but she pauses at the top, glancing over the railing toward the basement door with a frown as she does, antoinette’s soft words still echoing in her mind…

 

_“thank you…”_

 

\-------

 

somehow, antoinette looks even worse by the time cheryl and josie return to the basement to question her well into the morning.

 

cheryl had given the girls the day off from lessons and told them not to disturb her and not to come anywhere near the basement, and while betty and veronica had definitely looked at her suspiciously, the other girls had cheered happily at the idea of having a day off. cheryl can hear them upstairs giggling in the drawing room as they watch movies and chill out, but she focuses all of her attention on the young girl in front of her, her knees drawn up to her chest once more and her arms now encased in cheryl’s coat snugly as she sits on the dirty mattress in the exact same spot cheryl left her in before going to bed, as if she hasn’t moved an inch since then.

 

but despite the warmth cheryl knows that coat is providing her, antoinette is still shivering, the sweat on her brown now glistening over her neck and chest as well as she looks up at them with this look in her eyes that has cheryl frowning.

 

she looks _exhausted._ as exhausted as cheryl feels, the supreme only able to get a couple hours of sleep after spending most of the night tossing and turning, trying to wrap her mind around everything that’s happened.

 

cheryl finds herself wondering if the girl even got any sleep, but it’s been ten minutes now of josie asking her questions, and antoinette still refuses to answer them, much to josie’s displeasure.

 

displeasure, it seems, that’s finally boiling over.

 

antoinette merely continues staring up at them as josie asks her next question, and the voodoo witch clenches her jaw before she’s growling under her breath and stepping closer threateningly.

 

“look, this silent treatment shit is only gonna piss me off, and you don’t wanna piss me off! i’ve got twenty four years of voodoo up my sleeve to _make_ you talk, honey-.”

 

“josie!” cheryl says in exasperation, scratching at her brow with a sigh as josie turns to look at her in anger with her fingers wrapped around a pouch.

 

“cheryl, i don’t have the patience to sit here for days on end waiting for her to talk! you try it, then, if you’re so patient!” she huffs, making her way over to one of the support columns in the basement and leaning against it before she crosses her arms over her chest and watches cheryl impatiently.

 

cheryl hesitates for just a few moments, her heart thundering in her chest, but she squares her shoulders and stands from the chair she’s sitting on, making her way over to antoinette and pulling the young girl’s attention away from josie as her glare at the voodoo witch turns into a look of surprise when she meets cheryl’s eyes, her jaw clenching and that anger blazing once more just a second later.

 

cheryl stares at her in confusion, has no idea where this sudden hatred has come from when last night she had definitely heard antoinette say ‘thank you’ to her…

 

“antoinette, please…we just need answers. i know you’re scared, but i promised you last night that we weren’t going to hurt you, and i meant it. you’re under the protection of a supreme, okay? you’re safe…” 

 

antoinette’s eyes widen at her words before she suddenly scoffs, and to cheryl’s surprise, she bares her teeth, her eyes flickering into golden slits and causing cheryl to flinch back as her heart clenches, but it’s gone as quickly as it came, the haunted look in antoinette’s eyes returning as she shakes her head and hugs her knees tighter. 

 

“antoinette, please…please just talk to us, try to help us understand how this has happened-.”

 

“a supreme….a supreme is the reason i’m _like this._ ” antoinette suddenly rasps out, the sound of her voice, so much louder than last night, sending shivers up cheryl’s spine, goosebumps forming over her skin for some reason, but her voice is so hoarse and god, so tired…it’s like each word is causing her pain, her nails digging into her knees and her words causing josie to lean in closer from the pole she’s leaning against in surprise, looking to cheryl with an impressed look etched on her face, while the red haired girl exchanges a frown with josie before she looks back at antoinette in confusion. 

 

“what do you mean?” cheryl asks softly, leaning in just a bit closer in an effort to hear her properly, and antoinette lets out a shaky breath before she looks around the basement with something in her eyes that cheryl definitely saw last night.

 

fear.

 

“this house…” antoinette croaks out, her eyes closing as her whole body trembles, her chin thumping down onto her knees in exhaustion as her bottom lip trembles and she shakes her head, and cheryl watches on in mixture of confusion and awe before antoinette opens her eyes and looks at her with so much anger, it almost makes her run straight for the door.

 

but she doesn’t.

 

she holds her ground despite how fast her heart is thundering against her chest, holds antoinette’s gaze as the girl clenches her jaw, staring at cheryl with so much rage as her eyes roam over the supreme in wonder, head tilting to the side-

 

“you look so much like her.” she breathes, her nails digging into her skin once more, and cheryl’s heart _drops._

 

like puzzle pieces forming together to create a picture, all these things clicking in her mind straight away at those words, god, she should’ve known…she should’ve known, how didn’t she connect the dots earlier? of course antoinette’s been here before, no wonder she panicked so much when they pulled up to this place…

 

“you’ve…you’ve been here before, haven’t you?” cheryl says hollowly, the tears immediately welling in her eyes as antoinette simply nods once, her jaw set and her eyes moving to the corner of the room away from the two witches before her, this vacant look in them that has cheryl’s heart breaking as she looks up at josie in despair.

 

josie frowns in confusion, waves her hand at cheryl to egg her on, to get antoinette to keep talking…but cheryl has no words. what can she possibly say? this is all her mother’s fault, oh god, _she_ played a part in this, in antoinette being made into this monster-

 

“h-how?” cheryl manages to gasp out, unable to even think past that word because it’s the only one in her mind right now. how does she know this place? how did her mother do this to her? how, how, how-

 

“the supreme brought me here…when she kidnapped me. when i woke up, i was in a room…a dark room of some kind, strapped to a table…” antoinette says hoarsely, her eyes staring off into the distance as if she’s recalling some long lost memory, and perhaps she is, a nightmare of a recollection, one she probably wishes she could scrub from her brain, along with the last twenty years of her life…

 

cheryl instantly knows which room she’s talking about. it was a room she often found her mother in as a child, a room up in the attic where she used to practice her magic in secret from cheryl so she wouldn’t learn anything, and on the occasions when penelope caught her trying to peer in, trying to catch a glimpse of the magic being used…

 

a shiver runs up her spine again, but cheryl ignores it and focuses her attention on antoinette and antoinette alone, desperate to get the answers she needs.

 

“the supreme…what did she do?” cheryl asks, her voice weak, portraying exactly how she feels right now as she sinks down onto the mattress in front of antoinette, unable to keep herself up any longer on her trembling haunches while josie steps closer to her protectively, the look in antoinette’s eyes giving her pause.

 

she’s upset, it’s obvious, but she seems unable to act on it, her body still curled in on itself and the sweat on her face and neck continuing to build despite the cold late january air, drops racing down her golden skin in beads. she’s too weak to even hold her head up, and cheryl wants to give her another burst of energy, but she’s too scared to. what if antoinette attacks them? even if veronica told her that antoinette was scared more than she was angry, cheryl’s steadily becoming aware that this young girl is unpredictable. she can’t risk it.

 

she can’t risk her girls upstairs…

 

“i begged her to let me go, screamed for help, and she just…laughed at me. told me this was my punishment…for the crimes my coven committed. i told her i was sorry, i was so sorry for everything, for her son, for what sabine did, but she didn’t care…” antoinette breathes, her eyes glazed as she recalls these memories, and at the mention of her dead twin brother, cheryl’s heart clenches, her fingers digging into the mattress as antoinette continues speaking.

 

“she started using her magic…cut open her palm and forced my mouth open…forced me to drink her blood…and then she took some of my blood, cut my hand open and took drops into a cup before drinking from it…and with every word she said, i could feel my magic leaving my body…until there was nothing.” antoinette breathes, tears falling down her face as she closes them and swallows thickly, the memories clearly hurting her deeply while cheryl clings to every word with this pain resting deep on her chest, suffocating her, causing her mind to ache as well with the thoughts of this poor girl strapped to a table, unable to move, begging and screaming for help while her mother…

 

_oh god…_

 

it’s a known rule among witches, that only a supreme witch can strip another witch of her magic, that only a supreme can make another witch human, a service that was provided by many supremes before her to those who no longer wished to be tied to magic, and her mother…her mother _abused_ that power, like she abused everything else about being supreme, used it to strip antoinette of her gift.

 

god, how cheryl could be a product of that woman, she’ll never understand…no matter how many times people tell her that her mother _used_ to be a good person, cheryl will only ever know her as the devil incarnate…

 

“i…i could barely think, my mind was hurting, my body was in so much pain, and all i could do was cry because…because i couldn’t feel my magic anymore…” antoinette croaks out, more tears falling, and cheryl’s heart aches and aches for her.

 

because the idea of no longer being connected to her magic…god, cheryl can’t even fathom the possibility of it. she was already kept from it for over sixteen years of her life until she started teaching herself in secret, but it was always there, a part of the magic always resting inside her, to be cut off from it completely…

 

cheryl swallows thickly, watches as antoinette slowly opens her eyes, eyelashes fluttering wildly as she looks up at cheryl with a deep gasp, head tilting once more with this look cheryl doesn’t understand.

 

“and then…i heard what sounded like a baby crying…” antoinette whispers, this slight smile lifting her lips, and cheryl stares at her with wide eyes, her heart pounding and her mind racing as josie watches them both in complete and utter confusion, unable to interpret this moment, but cheryl and antoinette can…

 

a baby crying…this happened twenty years ago…oh _god…_

 

“this mop of bright red hair came waddling into the room, all tears and confusion, and even in my sadness, all i wanted to do was comfort her…comfort _you._ ” antoinette croaks out, licking her lips as the tears fall down them, and she sniffs once and shakes her head before she bares her teeth and closes her eyes while cheryl tries to process her words, tries to understand that she’s _met_ this girl before.

 

she’s met her before…

 

“your mother, she…she grabbed you, this little child, by the back of your neck and screamed at you, screamed your _name_ and called you ‘deviant’, dragged you up the stairs, and i could hear you screaming in pain too…i tried to use my magic to get myself off the table, but nothing was working...” 

 

cheryl closes her own eyes, tries to recollect her own memories of that moment, but god, she was, what, barely two years old at the time? there’s no way she can remember that…

 

but her mother calling her ‘deviant’? oh yes…that was one of her mother’s favorite insults to call cheryl…

 

_“you deviant, insolent, spite-filled child! you’re worthless, cheryl!”_

 

cheryl finds herself shivering at the memories, that pain causing her to flinch, but antoinette’s soft, raspy voice seems to anchor her, her eyes opening to stare at the brunette as she clenches her jaw and continues telling her story.

 

“i cried and begged for someone to help us, but instead…my nightmare just got worse.” antoinette says hoarsely, looking up at josie before looking back at cheryl once more.

 

“i could still hear you crying when your mother returned…but she ignored you, opened the door and let the man who would make the next twenty years of my life nothing but hell in.” cheryl looks up at josie with concern, her tears still falling, and josie has her own tears in her eyes as she looks back down at antoinette, watching as the young girl sniffs, that anger and hatred back in her eyes as she closes them and lets out a shaky sigh.

 

“f.p jones. you met him this morning, lit him up like a christmas tree…” antoinette whispers, opening her eyes and looking at cheryl with a mixture of terror and awe, and cheryl knows she’s talking about that man who was watching them, the man who almost attacked cheryl, the man that young boy called ‘dad’…

 

a name to the horrid face now…that horrid face she’s sure will join the many nightmares she already has on a daily basis.

 

“he came in, took one look at me and smiled, and i knew…i knew i was in trouble. he gave your mother a wad of cash, a thick one…the next thing i knew he was cutting my restraints off and before i even had the chance to try and fight him off, he was biting me…sinking his teeth right into my neck.” antoinette swallows thickly, one hand rising to subconsciously brush over her neck, where cheryl can see, out of nowhere…something she didn’t even spot before…

 

two small marks, close together, contrasting in a darker tone than the rest of her skin as antoinette swallows thickly and hugs herself closer before she continues talking, that distant look in her eyes once more. 

 

“i could feel the venom entering my body the second his teeth broke through my flesh. i screamed and begged him to stop, tried to fight him off, but he just pinned me down to the table and drained me dry. he only needed one hit of venom to turn me, but he wanted to begin my torture straight away, take every drop of blood in me until there was nothing but the venom left.” antoinette hisses through bared teeth, that anger so potent in her eyes, but cheryl can see the fear as well, the fear and the pain and god, it hurts her…it hurts her to think of what that man and his son did to her for the last twenty years-

 

“i passed out somewhere in between, and when i woke up…this is what i was.” antoinette says in a hollow voice, her eyes reducing to slits and the scales simply moving over her face, rippling in a way that makes cheryl flinch before it all fades once more, the young girl ducking her head into her arms in shame. 

 

cheryl takes a moment to process all this information in, to drink in the young girl’s words, but right now, she’s just…numb. she has no idea what she’s feeling, can’t even begin to acknowledge what her emotions are because all she can think about is the pain that antoinette has gone through for the last twenty years because of her mother.

 

and she’s angry, she knows she is, she’s angry at that horrid woman, angry at the pain she’s caused someone who never did anything wrong to her because she couldn’t let go of what happened to jason…because she couldn’t differentiate between the witch who killed jason and the rest of that witch’s coven.

 

antoinette’s mother had punished the woman who sacrificed jason to papa legba, had condemned her to a life of isolation buried underground to life out her eternity, how was that not enough? to torture an innocent girl, to ruin her life…antoinette wasn’t part of _anything_ that sabine did, this isn’t _fair…_

 

she looks up at josie in complete and utter horror and shock, the same sentiments reflected back in the voodoo witch’s eyes as antoinette lets out a shaky exhale that’s slightly muffled by her face in her arms. 

 

her mother…her mother kidnapped antoinette, stripped her of her magic and let f.p jones turn her into some mutated creature of the night in this very home, there’s no way around it.

 

god, cheryl almost wants to burn it to the ground now, the bile rising in the back of her throat making her choke slightly and causing antoinette to look up at her, this sadness and grief in her eyes that only makes cheryl feel worse as she swallows down the despair and inches closer to antoinette with a shaky sigh, her nails digging into the mattress further in an attempt to ground herself.

 

god, her head is pounding…

 

“she’s dead, antoinette. my mother, she died four years ago. i became the supreme in her place, and i promise you…i promise you i am _nothing_ like her.” cheryl says through gritted teeth, tears of anger falling down her cheeks as antoinette watches her with her own anger in her eyes, mixed with anguish and pain that has cheryl’s heart breaking at the sight of it.

 

she needs antoinette to see that she’s nothing like the woman who did this to her, was just as abused, just as tortured at penelope blossom’s hands as she was-

 

“i should hate you…” antoinette croaks out, her bottom lip trembling as cheryl clenches her jaw and licks her lips once, nodding along in agreement despite the hurt those words have caused her.

 

“you should…i wouldn’t blame you if you did. but i’ve spent the last four years fixing my mother’s mistakes, antoinette. i don’t plan to stop now.” cheryl says firmly, wiping away her tears and ignoring josie’s sharp inhale of breath when she reaches out to grip antoinette’s hand, resting her own, warm fingers over antoinette’s cold ones around her shins and squeezing them reassuringly as antoinette looks down at their intertwined hands in surprise.

 

she needs her to see…

 

“i’m going to fix this. i’m going to find a way to cure you, antoinette, and then i’m going to find a way to give you your magic back.” 

 

silence fills the room for a long time, josie staring at cheryl in shock, antoinette equally so while cheryl only has eyes for the young girl still wrapped in her coat, their hands still fused together, because maybe she is crazy for thinking she can do this…but it doesn’t mean she isn’t going to try.

 

her mother did this. she’s going to fix it. even if it kills her.

 

the silence lasts until josie finally speaks up to break the ice.

 

“cheryl…you can’t do that.” josie says firmly, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at cheryl with a frown as the supreme licks her lips and nods her head.

 

“maybe not, if there’s a way to strip a witch of her magic, there must be a way to bring it back. i won’t stop until i find it. my mother did this to you, and i have every intention of undoing it, antoinette. no matter what.” cheryl says determinedly, watching as antoinette closes her eyes and shakes her head, this soft whimper escaping her-

 

“cheryl, the power that’s gonna take-.”

 

“will be worth it in the end.” cheryl says without hesitation, her eyes never leaving antoinette despite josie’s words.

 

she doesn’t know if it’s possible, has no idea how much power it _will_ take to do something like this, but cheryl won’t condemn antoinette to this live for another second. this is her mother’s fault…so this is cheryl’s problem now. she needs to fix this, she _has_ to-

 

“look, even if you can do this, cheryl, we still know nothing about these _culebras_. how can you think to fix something you don’t understand? there’s still a lot of questions you haven’t answered, antoinette! vampires age at a slower rate than humans, yes, but they still age…how come you still look twenty years old? how come you haven’t aged a day since the night you were kidnapped?” josie asks sternly. antoinette swallows thickly and shakes her head once as cheryl looks at her in wonder of the answers to those questions, too.

 

“the rules are different for _culebras._ we don’t age at all…from the second we’re turned, we’re frozen in time. i guess it’s part of the mutation…vampires also require feeding a human their blood and that human dying with the vampire blood in their system to turn them into one, whereas _culebras_ …a single bite can turn a human. the toxins in vampires rest in their blood whereas for us, it rests in our saliva.” antoinette says thickly. cheryl frowns at the way she’s calling herself one of those creatures, saying ‘us’ instead of ‘them’, and it hurts her to hear it, but she pushes it aside and focuses on the task at hand, nods at her once.

 

“what traits from the vampires do the _culebras_ have?” cheryl asks firmly. antoinette sighs shakily, is silent for a few moments before she simply shrugs.

 

“sunlight burns us just the same as vampires, and we need blood to survive, but we can go longer without it than vampires can. if we go longer than a week without it though, we die. but other than that…we’re more serpent than vampire.” antoinette mutters, shifting and pulling cheryl’s coat closer around her body as she looks up at josie as if to ask if those answers are sufficient enough.

 

“how did these _culebras_ even come to be? we know they’re mutated forms of vampires, but how?” josie asks with a frown. antoinette licks her lips and shakes her head.

 

“i…i don’t know. they never told me anything about it.” she says sheepishly, but cheryl can see in her eyes that she’s hiding something, and she’s about to probe her for more information when josie beats her to it.

 

“nothing at all? you spent twenty years with them!” she growls, and antoinette glares up at her before she bares her teeth, josie clearly getting on her last nerve-

 

“i told you, i don’t know. do you think they’ve spent the last twenty years braiding my hair and telling me their secrets?! they just turned me into one of them and used me…used me to…” antoinette can’t seem to get the words out, her body shaking even harder, the look in her eyes suddenly filled with panic as if she’s recalling everything that’s happened to her, and cheryl purses her lips before she squeezes antoinette’s hand once more, teeth gnawing at her bottom lip before she replies reassuringly.

 

“it’s okay. you don’t have to talk about it.” cheryl murmurs, and antoinette bites down on her quivering bottom lip, a soft whimper escaping her as thick tears fall down her cheeks before she’s looking up at cheryl with this look that the supreme can’t explain, but one that fills her with so much fucking sadness…

 

“please…please just kill me…” antoinette whispers.

 

cheryl’s heart seizes, aches with a terrible pain at antoinette’s words, but she shakes her head in anguish, pursing her lips in an attempt to stop her own tears from falling.

 

“no…no, i can _help_ you, antoinette. i’m going to do everything i can-.”

 

“you can’t…you can’t _fix this._ what i am, the…the things i’ve done, the things they did to me…you can’t fix that, cheryl…” antoinette breathes, cheryl’s name escaping her lips in this breathy sigh that has cheryl’s heart racing, pins and needles exploding all over her body and up her spine at the sound, and before she can force herself out of the mind numbing assault that this simple action of antoinette saying her name has caused her, antoinette speaks up once more.

 

“you can’t fix _me._ so just end it, please…” 

 

god, what did these people _do_ to her for the last twenty years?

 

cheryl looks up at josie with worry, sees the voodoo witch looking down at antoinette with guilt shining heavy in her eyes, and cheryl licks her lips before she leans in closer, feeling brave for just a moment as she reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind antoinette’s ear.

 

the girl flinches back from her touch, a gasp escaping her as she looks up at cheryl in shock with wide eyes, the tears clinging to her eyelashes falling down her cheeks while cheryl pulls away quickly, her hand frozen in the air as she watches antoinette questioningly, and when the girl swallows thickly, but doesn’t flinch again, cheryl does what she set out to do, tucking that lock of hair behind her ear affectionately with a soft smile lifting her lips in an attempt to calm the girl down.

 

“i can’t do that, antoinette. because i believe in second chances. and i believe in moving on from the past…god, if i didn’t, i would’ve begged for the same thing a long time ago after everything my mother did to me…but you and i, we’re here, and she’s dead. which means we’re stronger than she ever was. we can fight this, i know we can. just give me the chance to find a way to save you from this nightmare, just one chance, antoinette, please…” cheryl begs softly, watching as antoinette’s tears fall more, this look of desperation in her eyes before they flutter closed as her throat bobs with a hard swallow.

 

“i…you don’t know…the things they did…” she whines, digging the palms of her hands into her eyes with a shaky sigh and a sniff, and cheryl grips her forearm with a whimper of her own, her heart breaking at the sight before her as she shakes her head.

 

she doesn’t know what they’ve done to her, but it can’t be anything good, of course it can’t, and just the idea of them hurting her…cheryl doesn’t know why, but it fills her with so much anger and grief-

 

“i can do this, antoinette. i may not be able to fix everything, but the things my mother did…i _can_ fix that. i won’t rest until i do.” cheryl says firmly. 

 

she can do this…she’ll do whatever it takes to fix this…

 

antoinette looks at her for a long time, her eyes shifting all over cheryl’s face, and josie sighs loudly behind them, cheryl jumping in surprise at the sound. she almost completely forgot josie was even here…

 

“cheryl, are you sure you can do this?” josie asks softly. cheryl lets out a shaky breath and looks to antoinette, not taking her eyes off her as this girl stares at her with this look cheryl can’t interpret from the life of her…

 

“i don’t know, josie. but if there’s a way for me to do this, i’m going to find it.” cheryl says adamantly, smiling through her tears and squeezing antoinette’s hand as josie sighs loudly behind her in defeat.

 

“okay. i think you’re one hell of a crazy witch, but…okay.”


	4. she doesn't seem like a monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took a little longer to come out (even though i'm updating on the day i said i would but last week i updated on tuesday so technically it has taken longer to come out anyway lemme shut up) so this chapter is a little longer.
> 
> things are getting intense. heh. when do things not get intense in my fics, eh?! i'll walk myself out.
> 
> anyway, enjoy! comments are nice, or you can yell at me at @endofdaysforme on twitter!
> 
> tw: blood, i guess, and also suicidal thoughts. my girl toni is suffering.

cheryl adjusts herself onto her back with a sigh, fluffing the pillow at her head and trying to ignore the queasy feeling in her stomach as she tries to fall asleep, but all she can think about is the fact that antoinette is still down in the basement where cheryl can’t keep an eye on her, and the very thought makes her head spin and her heart clench anxiously.

 

the rest of the day had been spent trying to get more information out of antoinette, but the girl had retreated back into her state of reclusion after cheryl had promised to try and cure her of her vampirism and bring her magic back, only muttering one worded answers that left both josie and cheryl frustrated until they had finally given up late in the afternoon, where josie had announced that she was leaving. 

 

“i have to get back home, cheryl, i have to tell them what’s happened.” josie had told her softly. she told cheryl to keep her updated, and cheryl wishes that she would’ve just stayed so she could help her, doesn’t understand why she couldn’t just simply call her mother and let her know what’s happened, but she knows josie is worried about her coven back home, knows it’s not her place to beg josie to stay, so she reluctantly hugged her friend goodbye, promised to let her know what’s going on and watched with despair as she left, josie looking equally unwilling to go as she got into her car to make the long journey back to new orleans. 

 

cheryl had tried again that night to get antoinette to talk, but the girl was cowered in the corner, rocking back and forth with these soft whimpers that left cheryl feeling heartbroken, and no matter how many times she tried to get her to talk, to tell her what was wrong so she could help, antoinette refused to listen, her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around her knees, and cheryl had sighed and simply left, her mind and her heart and her body so fatigued from everything that had happened over the last twenty four hours, she could barely keep her eyes open. she ushered her girls to bed before retiring for the night herself, but it’s been hours since then and she _still can’t sleep._

 

there’s just so much on her mind…how can she even begin to process everything that’s happened? she has a suicidal mutated vampire in her home, god, how the fuck did this all happen so quickly?

 

how the hell is she supposed to fix this? and what happens if she can’t? what happens if she can’t fix antoinette and she’s stuck like this forever? she can’t do that to the poor girl, she has to do whatever it takes to cure her, to bring back her magic, to get her back _home._

 

but antoinette doesn’t seem to want it. and that in itself is the most heartbreaking thing about all of this. 

 

cheryl has no doubt in her mind that f.p jones and all those other _culebras_ have spent the last twenty years breaking down antoinette’s soul, to the point now where she’s not just broken, she’s completely and utterly defeated…there isn’t an ounce of fight left in her, and cheryl doesn’t know how to get her to realize that she still has something worth fighting for.

 

a coven back home, still willing to follow her lead…a life with magic, a life without this pain, if cheryl can cure her…

 

but that’s it, isn’t it? everything is based on ‘if’s, and god, antoinette has probably spent the last twenty years waiting for a miracle, for someone to save her, that hope dwindling with each passing day, no wonder she’s so hesitant to believe that cheryl can actually do this, because what if she can’t? then antoinette has gotten her hopes up for nothing once again, cheryl couldn’t bear to go through something like that again, for antoinette to do that-

 

the sound of muffled sobbing suddenly reaches her ears, breaking her out of her thoughts as that queasy feeling suddenly intensifies, and cheryl frowns before she throws the covers off herself, concern for her girls gripping her as she slowly makes her way to her door with a sigh.

 

the grief that hits her the closer she gets to the door has her eyes widening, this instant ache and panic consuming her, because something’s happened to one of her girls, she can feel it, she can feel the pain and the horror-

 

she throws the door open and rushes out into the hallway, turning to the right to find a small figure crouched against the wall by one of the doors leading to veronica and betty’s room-

 

“antoinette?” cheryl breathes, staring at her in complete and utter shock, not understanding how she was able to get out of the basement, she put a protection spell-

 

_fuck…fuck, no you didn’t, how could you forget to do that, cheryl?! fuck, fuck-_

 

josie had lifted her spell over the basement this afternoon when she left, god, she even _told_ cheryl to put one of her own up and she completely forgot...

 

antoinette looks up at her, now covered in the sleeveless shirt and the pajama shorts cheryl had lent her before retiring for the night, this loud whine of anguish escaping her as she rocks back and forth against the wall, her hands gripping her hair as she sobs and sobs _loudly_.

 

cheryl rushes over to her, crouches down beside her and reaches out to touch her knee, but when antoinette looks up at her, cheryl can see her eyes are shining golden, the pupils reduced to slits, the eyes of a snake staring back at her and the scales of one forming over her features, bumping ridges into her smooth skin as she whimpers and shakes her head desperately with a loud gasp.

 

“i t-tried to s-stop it, to s-stop m-myself, but i c-can’t, i c-can’t, i’m so s-sorry-.” antoinette chokes out, drawing in these shuddering breaths as cheryl simply stares at her, numb to everything around her, trying to process what’s going on as she looks up to see veronica and betty’s door is slightly ajar-

 

her stomach _drops_ , her heart clenching as she whimpers.

 

oh god…no, please, please, it can’t be, please, it’s not true, it’s not true…

 

no…no, she didn’t hurt one of her girls, she didn’t, please, please, it was one small mistake, she just forgot to cast a protection spell on the door, don’t let it result in this-

 

unable to stop herself, she stands slowly, her shaking, trembling hand reaching for the doorknob as she swallows the bile in the back of her throat and peeks through the door-

 

veronica and betty are fast asleep, betty snoring lightly as veronica turns over in her sleep, and cheryl lets out a whimper of relief, tears falling down her cheeks as this shaky exhale escapes her loudly while antoinette sobs on the floor beside her, rocking back and forth even harder. cheryl collapses by her side, the panic that had settled so deep into her heart draining her out of nowhere as she reaches out to grip antoinette’s shoulder, and antoinette cries out and shuffles away from her, shaking her head furiously as tears fall down her golden eyes. cheryl frowns and tries to reach out for her again.

 

“antoinette…it’s okay, you didn’t hurt anyone-.” cheryl tries to reassure her, feeling nothing but relief, but also sadness at the tears falling down antoinette’s cheeks, the girl looking up at her with nothing but horror.

 

“i…i c-can’t c-control it, n-not when i’m th-this hungry, cheryl, p-please…please, just k-kill me, i d-don’t want t-to hurt them, i d-don’t want to h-hurt anyone anymore!” antoinette wails, her nails scratching at the wooden floorboards beneath her as her teeth clamp down on her bottom lip, and cheryl can see her canines elongating slowly, antoinette’s eyes clenched shut in concentration as the sweat at her brow drips down the side of her face-

 

“hungry? what-oh…oh god…” realization slowly dawns on cheryl what antoinette means, and nothing but complete and utter panic grips her heart and takes hold of her whole body, her nails scratching at the skin of her arms as she watches antoinette continue to writhe uncomfortably, shivering uncontrollably in what must be contained bloodlust.

 

her girls, her girls are in danger right now, antoinette needs blood, god, why didn’t cheryl realize this would be an issue, she’s been so goddamn distracted by everything, by the idea of using her magic to strip antoinette’s vampirism, to bring back her own magic, so goddamn focused on fixing her mother's mistakes she completely forgot about the fact that she’d need blood.

 

_you’re an idiot, cheryl, a goddamn fool-_

 

god, this always happens, the second cheryl finds out her mother has done something to hurt someone, everything else gets thrown out of the window in cheryl's attempt to help them, she forgets things, she makes her own mistakes, and she can't afford to do that right now, not with a goddamn bloodthirsty vampire living in her home...

 

_i can't keep her here like this, the girls-_

 

“antoinette, please…what can i do, i-.”

 

“let me die…let me die, please, lock me in the basement and just let me die…” antoinette begs out, her voice filled with desperation, and cheryl blinks back her tears, her heart clenching at antoinette’s words, because it hurts to hear someone say these things, especially this poor girl who was thrust into this terror, who had no say in how her life turned out, it’s not fair…

 

“antoinette, i…i can’t do that-.”

 

“cheryl, please…i spent twenty years h-hurting people…i c-can’t do it anymore, just end it…” antoinette chokes out, and those words make cheryl wonder once again what she’s been subjected to for the last twenty years, but instead of asking, cheryl grips antoinette’s cold hands into her warm ones, her heart pounding in her ears as the situation she’s in slowly starts to dawn on her now.

 

antoinette needs blood. and if she continues to go without it, her girls are in danger. antoinette can’t control herself during such a bloodlusted phase, and she has a whole bunch of teenage girls upstairs ready to be feasted on. she has nowhere else to take her that isn't protected by her magic, those _culebras_ will find her and drag her back to that filthy club by her hair, and cheryl will die before she lets antoinette get captured by those disgusting animals again.

 

she doesn’t even know why she says it. it just kind of escapes her before she can even think about the implications behind what she’s just said.

 

“bite me.” 

 

_oh…oh, why did you say that? why did you say that, cheryl, you complete and utter idiot-_

 

antoinette freezes against the wall, her eyes snapping open before she turns her head to look at cheryl slowly in complete and utter disbelief, and before she can say anything, cheryl’s licking her lips, trying to push past the fear in her heart and trying to tap into the bravery instead as she works through her thought process despite how _wildly_ her mind is spinning.

 

“vampire venom can’t turn a witch…and neither can _culebra_ venom, or else my mother wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of stripping you of your magic. those girls can’t be turned, but i’ll die before i see any harm come to them…i’m the supreme, which means you can't kill me until the next one rises. so bite me instead.” cheryl says quickly, her words escaping faster in her panic over _just what the fuck she’s suggesting_ as antoinette shakes her head furiously in disagreement.

 

“n-no-.” cheryl has half a mind to agree with her, but instead-

 

“antoinette, i can’t let you hurt those girls, and you don’t want to hurt anyone else, so i’m the only other option! i'll heal, it's one of my powers, just please, don’t fight me on this!” cheryl whispers, glancing back down the hallway to make sure their volume isn’t waking any of the girls, but they remain quiet, and antoinette glares at her before she scoffs, clenching her jaw and shaking her head as it falls back against the wall in her weakness.

 

“i’m not biting you, cheryl. just let me die and be done with it.” she breathes, her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her whole body sagging against the wall, and the sight makes cheryl’s heart drop, because she's reaching the cusp of death, cheryl can feel that energy creeping into her home so readily, making shivers explode up her spine, and her body acts before she can think about it, much like most of her actions from the second she had rescued antoinette from the whyte wyrm.

 

she grips antoinette’s elbow and tugs her closer, biting down on her bottom lip in hesitation, and for just a second, antoinette’s too weak to fight her, the girl sinking forward as cheryl lets out a shaky sigh and brushes her own red hair back from her neck to expose it. 

 

god, her heart is racing so fucking fast right now, is she really doing this? how should she know this won’t affect her or hurt her or even worse, turn her into one of them? she’s only acting off what she knows right now, that her mother had to go through the trouble of stripping antoinette of her magic to let f.p turn her, so clearly _culebra_ venom can’t turn witches, please god let it not be able to turn witches-

 

she can’t let veronica or betty or ethel or diana or any of her other girls get hurt, it’s as simple as that. who cares if she turns, if antoinette hurts her, drains her dry, none of it matters. those girls need to stay safe no matter what, that’s all cheryl cares about…

 

“what…what are you doing, stop…” antoinette croaks out, her hand laying flat against cheryl’s collarbone to push her back, and cheryl smiles and wraps her fingers around her wrist with a quick shake of her head.

 

“i’ll be fine, antoinette. it won’t hurt me, i’m the supreme. take as much as you need. just…be gentle.” cheryl says with a breathless, nervous laugh in an attempt to stop herself from shaking, the lies escaping her easily because she has no idea if this will hurt her or not, but she’ll be damned if she’s going to let antoinette feed on her girls or let antoinette suffer a second longer.

 

she’ll be the sacrificial lamb, she doesn’t care. antoinette’s needed blood since last night, cheryl was just too distracted to notice, which means she’s been fighting this feeling all day, cheryl won’t let her keep going through this. the girl’s been torturing herself so she doesn’t hurt anyone, and cheryl feels horrible about it, in some fucked up twisted way, despite the fact that she’s offering herself up right now for antoinette to sink her teeth into, fuck, what has her life turned into…

 

_it’ll be fine…it’ll be fine, deep breaths, cheryl-_

 

antoinette’s gaze drops from her eyes down to her exposed neck, those golden eyes shining with so much hunger as her mouth drops open and her canines grow at a rapid pace, and cheryl can almost see her salivating, her eyes focused only on her neck-

 

“no! no, cheryl, please…” antoinette clenches her eyes shut and pushes herself back, growling under her breath before she’s suddenly dashing to her feet and taking off down the stairs at a speed that has cheryl blinking in shock for a few moments, frozen in confusion as to what the hell’s just happened before she jumps up, her heart thundering so loudly in her ears.

 

“antoinette!” she closes her eyes and focuses her abilities, and in a complete and utter blink of an eye, she’s at the front door to the basement, her eyes watching as it swings slightly. she bursts through it, closing it shut behind her quickly in case any of the girls wake up with her heart racing against her chest and thundering in her ears, running down the steps as antoinette paces up and down, gripping her hair in anguish as she shakes her head and whines loudly.

 

“i c-can’t, please, cheryl, just stay away from me! let me die down here-.”

 

“i can’t do that!” cheryl cries out, tears falling before she can stop them as antoinette finally freezes and looks up at her in despair, her bottom lip quivering and a soft whimper escaping her with those eyes still shining golden as cheryl sniffs back her tears and makes her way towards the young girl, each step heavy with so much panic, and cheryl doesn’t know where her mind is right now, all she knows is that she can’t do what antoinette wants.

 

this is her responsibility to fix, to correct her mother’s mistakes…

 

“don’t you understand that? i can’t let you die! i _have_ to fix this-.”

 

“why? your mother…your mother’s the one that did this to me, cheryl, not…not you…” antoinette trails off, the words escaping her breathlessly, her knees buckling in her weakness until cheryl rushes over and reaches out to grip her hand.

 

“antoinette?” 

 

the girl sways slightly with a wheezing breath before her eyes roll into the back of her head and she falls forth, collapsing into cheryl’s arms as the supreme falls to the ground, gently cradling antoinette in her arms and brushing her hair back from her face as antoinette’s brow furrows in pain. cheryl drags them over to the mattress, looking down at antoinette with nothing but guilt at the pain on her face right now…

 

if it wasn’t for her mother, she wouldn’t be here. she’d be safe back home in new orleans, that’s the truth of the matter. it’s the blossom family’s fault that this has happened to antoinette. so cheryl has to fix it.

 

“ _that’s_ why i have to do this, antoinette. this is my family's fault...i have to fix this.” she whispers, ignoring antoinette’s whines of protest as she lifts the young girl in her arms up higher and swings her hair back from her neck, inching antoinette’s face closer to her skin, and she can’t help the sharp intake of breath as antoinette’s canine teeth grow once more, her eyes shining golden, those pupils becoming thinner and thinner and those scales shining in the moonlight filtering in through the window-

 

“please…cheryl, stop, i c-can’t control it…” antoinette rasps, her fingers gripping the collar of cheryl’s pajama shirt, tongue snaking out against her lips and brushing across those sharp tips of her canines as she swallows dryly, and cheryl clenches her jaw, braces herself as antoinette’s eyes seem to just glaze over, this pure and unadulterated hunger taking over…

 

“it’s okay.” cheryl whispers, her heart thundering so painfully against her ribcage from anticipation, and with that, antoinette’s grip on her collar tightens before her teeth are sinking straight into the skin where her neck and shoulder meet, cheryl’s eyes closing and her brow furrowing, a soft gasp of pain escaping her as her red hair falls over antoinette’s face to block her from view. 

 

the pain is excruciating, but cheryl bites down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out, simply lets the tears roll down her cheeks as she lets antoinette adjust herself until she’s straddling cheryl’s lap, her grip on cheryl’s collar moving to her shoulders to keep her steady, but also digging in harshly as she growls against her neck, and cheryl simply grips the hem of the sleeveless shirt antoinette is wearing, unconsciously pulling her in closer despite the mind numbing ache she’s causing her. 

 

it’s unlike any pain she’s ever felt before, and cheryl’s been through quite a lot of pain in her life thanks to her mother. it’s not an all-encompassing pain, not one that makes her entire body ache like her mother’s attacks used to, all her pain is pinpointed to her neck, to the sharp bite of antoinette’s teeth into her flesh, and cheryl feels only a slight burn through her veins which she has no doubt is the venom currently pumping through her body from antoinette-

 

all too suddenly, antoinette is pulling away from her with a strange whimper, barely taking blood from her for longer than twenty seconds, and this disgusting, stomach turning feeling seems to enter cheryl’s body, her insides burning and her head pounding as she groans, her vision quickly blurring as she looks up at antoinette to see her face swimming in and out of view.

 

her blood is staining antoinette’s chin and bottom lip, the girl’s canines retracting and those golden eyes turning chocolate brown once more as the scales on her face fade, and cheryl feels her eyes roll into the back of her head before she feels a cold hand grip the back of her neck and hears antoinette’s voice whisper into her ear.

 

“it’s the venom…you’ll only be out for a few hours, i promise. i’m so sorry, cheryl…” 

 

and with that, everything fades to black.

 

\--------

 

when cheryl wakes up, her head is pounding painfully, like a bad hangover after a long night out and six tequila shots before crashing out on top of your bed and watching the world continue to spin around you, and she swallows thickly, her throat dry and this groan escaping her before she registers the feeling of soft, but very cold fingers brushing through her hair.

 

her eyes flutter open, the darkness around her making her frown in confusion before a raspy voice echoes out right beside her.

 

“you’ve only been out an hour.” cheryl turns her head quickly, her body registering the soft mattress beneath it before her blurred eyes focus on the figure sat beside her on it, chocolate brown eyes boring into her own as antoinette looks down at her with a frown of concern. her lips and chin are no longer stained with cheryl’s blood, but her stomach turns when she notices the small red blotch on her white sleeveless shirt, the realization that that’s her own blood slowly hitting her…

 

“are you okay?” antoinette croaks out, swallowing thickly as she pushes herself completely off the mattress and away from cheryl, who licks her lips and reaches a hand up to brush her fingers over her neck where antoinette bit her.

 

nothing’s there.

 

no pain, no puncture marks, nothing. it’s like antoinette never even bit her.

 

“it healed in less than ten minutes, even i was surprised.” antoinette grunts out, but the look in her eyes tells a different story, this anguish and anger resting deep inside them as cheryl slowly sits up with a sigh, wincing at the ache behind her eyes as she does.

 

“i told you, i heal faster than the others.” cheryl says with a reassuring, but weak smile. she doesn’t feel horrible at all, and the knowledge that this has happened to her instead of the other girls upstairs makes her beyond happy, which is slightly twisted when cheryl really thinks about it, but when she looks at antoinette, the girl is looking at her with a clenched jaw, her eyes filled with horror. the hunger is still there, cheryl can see it, those bags under her eyes still prominent, and cheryl frowns before the memories before she passed out quickly flood her.

 

antoinette barely drank from her, and maybe she was doing it so she wouldn’t hurt cheryl, but the fact that she did that means she’s still hungry. she’s still a threat.

 

“antoinette, you barely took anything from me…i can see you’re still hungry-.”

 

“i’m fine.” antoinette hisses, scoffing in disbelief and shuffling further away from cheryl, and it’s cheryl’s turn to stare angrily at her now, her teeth gnawing on the inside of her cheek as she huffs and shakes her head.

 

“look. if you think i’m going to keep a hungry vampire in this house, you’re wrong! you almost attacked one of my girls last night, and while i admire you’re tenacity at being able to pull away, i’d rather you feed on me until you’re full then risk that happening again! so next time…next time you take as much as you need.” cheryl says firmly with a tone of finality, because she won’t keep antoinette in this house if she’s hungry. she may have been able to stop herself from hurting her girls last night, but cheryl’s not willing to risk it. 

 

antoinette stares at her in anger, shaking her head before she chews on her bottom lip with tears in her eyes.

 

“i…i don’t know how to take as much as i need, cheryl. they only gave me one shot glass of blood every week…enough to keep me alive, but enough to also keep me weak and at their mercy. if i ever tried to take more than that, they’d…” she trails off, her voice hollow and filled with so much grief, and cheryl licks her lips, watches her with wide eyes, but she leans in a little closer, the untold horrors of what she went through clear in antoinette’s eyes.

 

cheryl feels her blood run cold, this anger she can’t explain taking her over as she realizes what the strange whimper antoinette let out when she let her go was.

 

a whimper of panic over taking more than she should, suffering the consequences of doing so...

 

she's so angry, so enraged that this girl ever had to suffer at the hands of those monsters, but antoinette doesn’t give her the chance to be angry, the girl standing up and making her way over to the small window in the middle of the basement wall, the brick jutting out as the first rays of sunlight begins to filter through.

 

cheryl watches her for a few moments, watches as she looks up at the window with this small smile on her face, her eyes closing until cheryl finally finds her voice again.

 

“antoinette…” cheryl says breathlessly. antoinette’s back tenses up, a shaky sigh escaping her before she speaks with her back still turned to cheryl. her eyes firmly placed on the window.

 

“‘toni’…that name…i hate hearing it, i…please, call me ‘toni’…” she says hoarsely, and cheryl watches, dumbfounded as antoinette…toni, stares at the sunlight in awe, watching it filter through the window as if she hasn’t seen it in over twenty years.

 

it doesn’t really occur to cheryl that maybe, just maybe…she hasn’t.

 

“it’s so beautiful…” she breathes, this smile taking over her face, and cheryl swallows the lump in her throat, tries to get something out, but she can’t even think of anything to say.

 

she can’t stop staring at her. cheryl would be lying if she said she didn’t think antoinette was beautiful the second she laid eyes on her, and after everything that’s happened over the last two days…

 

why can’t cheryl describe this connection she has with her? is it the child inside her connecting with the woman who had done everything to save her despite being strapped down to a table herself twenty years ago? is it just this shared pain of the horrors they’ve suffered at the hands of their captors that’s making them understand each other in a way that cheryl can’t explain? 

 

just…god, what is it about this girl…

 

“toni…” she croaks out instead, watching as toni seems to relax suddenly at the sound of that name, and cheryl watches as she turns slowly, a sad smile on her face and tears in her eyes as she looks at cheryl before letting out a shaky sigh. 

 

she doesn’t say a word. she turns back to the sunlight that begins to filter even more through the window, a ray shining through before she raises her hand, exposing it to the sunlight and hissing when her skin begins to sizzle, smoke rising from her flesh-

 

“toni!” cheryl jumps up from the mattress on trembling legs, rushing to her side and pulling her away from the window, pinning her to the brick wall and away from the sunlight before she grips toni’s hand and examines it carefully with a cry of anguish that she can’t stop. toni’s breathless pants hit her face with hot air as the burns on her hand very, very slowly begin to heal, cheryl watching in complete and utter awe.

 

she knows vampires can heal, but they take much longer than this… _culebras_ heal faster than normal vampires. it’s comforting, but it doesn’t mean her heart isn’t still thundering against her ribs from the panic that had caused her as she looks up at toni in complete and utter shock.

 

“why did you do that?!” she cries, blinking back tears as toni looks at her breathlessly.

 

“my mother…my mother used to call me ‘toni’…” toni pants out, this sad smile taking over her face, her bottom lip trembling as tears well in her eyes, and cheryl stares at her with nothing but grief and awe, this strange mix that she can’t explain as she drops her eyes down and watches the burns on her hand slowly disappear completely, the flesh golden brown once more.

 

“my god…” cheryl murmurs, eyes wide as she grips toni’s hand in her own, and she doesn’t get the chance to ask toni more about these healing abilities before the girl lets out a deep whine from the back of her throat, pulling cheryl’s attention back up to her eyes.

 

"they told me...they told me they killed her...tore her apart...they b-brought me back one of her...one of her fingers...wrapped in her scarf..." toni whimpers, tears building in her eyes, and cheryl feels her heart completely and utterly _break._

 

oh god...oh god, they tortured her, they tortured her for twenty goddamn years...

 

"toni...i'm so sorry...i'm so, so sorry..." cheryl says shakily, her hand gripping toni's forearm as the girl merely stares at her with nothing but grief shining in those chocolate brown eyes.

 

“why do you keep trying to save me when i don't want to be saved, cheryl?” toni croaks out, the tears in her eyes spilling over and falling down her cheeks as cheryl looks up at her, an answer on the tip of her tongue that just comes bursting forth before she can stop it as her own tears fall.

 

“because i think you’re worth saving.” she whispers. 

 

toni’s eyes meet her own before they flick all over her face at a rapid pace, taking in every inch of her before they linger on her lips, and cheryl has no fucking idea what happens next, but her eyes are only focused on full, pink lips, slightly chapped and bruised from how often toni’s bitten on them in the last two days, and she’s leaning in, her heart pounding against her chest painfully as toni sucks in a harsh breath-

 

“miss blossom?! are you down there?!” 

 

cheryl jumps back in shock, her throat closing up and causing her to choke out an answer as veronica’s voice echoes down the staircase.

 

“yes! don’t come down here!” she croaks out, looking back at the staircase to make sure veronica isn’t coming down, her heart thundering against her ribs, and she looks back at toni anxiously, sees her still breathing wildly, looking at cheryl with wide eyes filled with horror, over veronica almost coming in, or over what just happened, cheryl isn’t sure, but regardless, the supreme pulls away and makes her way to the staircase, climbing up the stairs quickly to find veronica and betty at the door, both with frowns on their faces.

 

“is everything okay?” betty asks, her eyes roaming over cheryl’s flustered face with confusion and surprise as cheryl swallows dryly and simply nods, pushing them back and grabbing the door handle to close the door behind her slightly.

 

“everything’s fine, but all of you…all of you are forbidden from coming down here, do you hear me? get to the kitchen, get breakfast started, i’ll be there in a moment to help you.” cheryl says breathlessly. betty and veronica’s frowns only deepen, and cheryl can see the hesitation in their eyes, but she keeps her face firm, tries to be the teacher instead of their friend right now, and both girls nod once and make their way into the kitchen, both of them attempting to look down into the basement first before cheryl closes the door with a clench of her jaw to hide toni from view. 

 

the girls sigh before they walk away, and cheryl lets out a sigh of relief before she makes her way down the stairs again to find toni back in her corner, curled up into herself with her head buried in her arms and knees, rocking back and forth and whimpering quietly.

 

cheryl closes her eyes, tries to ignore the ache in her heart at the sight and turns her attention to the sunlight filtering in through the small window, and she sighs before she licks her lips and makes her way over to it, tapping into her energy and murmuring under her breath as the glass of the window begins to fog over slowly, becoming stained and blurred enough to block out any sunlight coming through it.

 

she won’t have toni hurting herself again. if she were to come back down here and find toni burned to a crisp, dead and not moving…

 

toni watches her, sniffing loudly and letting out a whimper before she buries her face back into her arms, and cheryl blinks back her own tears and makes her way over to the young girl, crouching down beside her and reaching out to touch her, but toni flinches away from her touch, curling further into the wall, and cheryl feels her heart fall, heartache gripping her as her hand falls to her side uselessly.

 

“i…toni, i…”

 

“put…put a protection spell over the door so i can’t get out.” toni whispers, her voice slightly muffled as she refuses to lift her head and make eye contact with the red haired girl, who watches her with hesitation, unsure of what to say or think or do in this moment.

 

it sounds so sinister, so horrible, to confine toni to this small space, but what other choice does she have right now?

 

“okay, but…toni, please, don’t think you’re a prisoner here, because you’re not, i…” she whispers back softly, reaching out to touch her once more, but the second her fingers make contact with toni’s elbow, the girl shifts back until she’s almost fucking _melded_ to the wall, shaking her head furiously until cheryl simply nods once, standing on her feet and wiping away the tears that fall down her cheeks.

 

“okay. okay, i’ll go…” 

 

toni doesn’t say another word to stop her, and cheryl watches her for a few moments before she runs her fingers through her hair and lets out a shaky breath.

 

“i’ll…i’ll bring some more clothes for you to change into…if you want, later tonight when the girls are asleep, you can use the shower in my room.” cheryl murmurs. toni doesn’t move an inch, doesn’t make a move to acknowledge cheryl’s words, and cheryl swallows thickly before simply nodding and making her way to the steps once more, unsure of what to feel about what just happened.

 

\-----

 

toni ignores her.

 

cheryl had moved down to the basement later on in the evening while the girls watched a movie to sneak toni upstairs to let her shower, but once she was done, she moved right back down to the basement and stayed silent, didn't squeak another word as cheryl tried to get her to talk.

 

and for the rest of the week, nothing changes. cheryl continuously tries to get information about the _culebras_ out of her, and toni simply refuses to say anything. she just sits there against the wall, rocking back and forth while the bags under her eyes grow darker and darker and the bloodlust begins to shine with each passing day.

 

cheryl doesn’t understand it. she’s trying to find a way to stop toni from living her life like this, constantly needing blood and being weak and suffering, but toni just doesn’t seem to want to help her do that, and it’s frustrating.

 

“i’m trying to help you, toni! and maybe you don’t want me to, maybe you want me to just let you die, but i told you, that’s not happening, not on my watch! so either you co-operate, or i get the information myself!” cheryl had barked, and when toni had still said nothing, cheryl had turned on her heel and left her alone for the rest of the day, fuming at her complete and utter lack of co-operation. she had called josie and given her an update, which mostly consisted of cheryl complaining that toni wasn’t talking, and josie sighing in frustration and trying to come up with a way to get her to talk, but they both come up empty. 

 

she’s searched everywhere, through every book of shadows she owns, the internet, had called other witches, had even called archie andrews for help, but nothing. no information on _culebras_ , only vampires, and cheryl’s reached her limit. she can’t fucking find _anything_ , and she’s starting to give up hope.

 

but she can’t…she can’t give up hope because toni doesn’t deserve any of this and it’s _her mother’s_ fault that she’s suffering. cheryl _has_ to fix this, and she won’t rest until she does.

 

after searching through another article that just ended up linking her to a goddamn movie about vampires that glittered in the sun, cheryl closes the browser with a growl of frustration, running her fingers through her hair and closing her eyes to take a deep breath in.

 

she knows one of the reasons toni’s shutting herself off is because they almost kissed, and she knows toni’s refusing to help her because she wants this all to end, but cheryl refuses to let her. she won’t let toni die, won’t entertain the possibility of this girl trying to kill herself for even a second.

 

maybe it’s crazy, for her to want to save toni, to be going through all this trouble for a girl who didn’t want her help, but the thought of toni dying makes her heart ache and her lungs squeeze so painfully, cheryl feels like she can’t breathe every time she remotely thinks about it. 

 

toni doesn’t deserve any of this. and cheryl won’t stop until she helps her get her life back. it’s not just josie’s coven that needs this now, it’s cheryl, too.

 

with a groan as she stretches her back out and finally pushes herself up off her computer chair on trembling legs, stiff from hours of no use, but it’s gone within a matter of seconds, her powers kicking in to take the pain away as she makes her way downstairs for the usual procedure with toni.

 

she knows toni’s bound to be getting thirsty again, it’s been a week since she fed on cheryl, and she’s been getting weaker and weaker with each passing day…

 

cheryl smiles at the sound of the girls in the drawing room, and she makes her way over to it first, poking her head in and smiling even wider when she sees betty teaching diana how to make the flower glow, something she’s now able to do without any struggles, focusing her energy on making it shine as bright as possible while diana frowns in concentration and glares down at her flower. the other girls appear to have long given up, are playing what looks like a board game in a circle by the fire, and cheryl rolls her eyes before she notices something that makes her heart stop.

 

veronica’s missing.

 

cheryl throws the door open and runs inside, scanning the entire room with her heart pounding against her chest, because something doesn’t _feel right-_

 

“betty? where’s veronica?” cheryl says quickly, watching as betty looks up from her glowing flower, the light dimming as she looks around the room with a frown before she simply shrugs.

 

“probably in her room? i don’t know-.” cheryl closes her eyes and feels betty’s voice fade, and when she opens them, she’s in front of the basement door, and she knows, she just _knows_ veronica’s down there, because she’s so goddamn curious all the time-

 

she grabs the door handle, ripping it open and dashing down the stairs, and when she sees what’s in front of her, a scream rises in the back of her throat.

 

veronica is sitting beside toni, this wide grin on her face as toni looks up at her with tears falling down her cheeks, but an equally watery smile of her own before they both look up in surprise at the sound of her boots clacking on the ground.

 

the smiles cause cheryl to freeze completely in utter shock, but as soon as it dawns on her what she’s seeing, she runs forward, ignoring veronica’s jump of surprise as she scrambles to her feet.

 

“veronica! i told you the basement was off limits!” cheryl cries shakily, swallowing down the bile at the back of her throat and reaching out to grip her elbow to drag her to the entrance in her panic as veronica stares at her in shock with wide eyes.

 

“i…i’m sorry, but i couldn’t keep ignoring her! she’s been upset and sad and scared the whole week, i’ve been f-feeling her emotions! i just wanted to s-see if she was okay-.”

 

“when i tell you not to do something, veronica, i mean it! you have no idea the danger you’ve put yourself in! get upstairs, now!” cheryl barks, wincing herself at how loud she’s being, but god, veronica was down here by herself and toni needs to feed and oh _god-_

 

veronica blinks back tears before she murmurs a quick ‘yes, miss blossom’ and scurries upstairs, sniffling as she does, and cheryl watches her go with panic, her body not relaxing until the girl shuts the door behind her. she closes her eyes and exhales shakily, guilt immediately gripping her for yelling at veronica, but god, how could she do something this stupid? cheryl told them not to come down here, how could she just...she needs to put another spell, another spell that stops the girls from coming in-

 

“i wasn’t going to hurt her.” toni deadpans.

 

at the sound of her voice, cheryl’s eyes snap open, and she glares down at the former voodoo witch turned _culebra_ in anger, scoffing as she crosses her arms over her chest.

 

just a week ago she was ready to feed on veronica, was fighting her bloodlust off, and now she's telling her she won't hurt her?

 

“you haven’t fed in a week and you look like you’re about to rip someone’s throat out, forgive me for being worried that my _student_ was down here by herself!” cheryl hisses, her nails digging into her bicep as she looks back up at the door with a frown.

 

she has to go apologize to veronica, she never intended to get that upset, it’s just…god, what if toni had lost control like she did last week? cheryl can’t bear the thought of anything happening to veronica or any of her girls…

 

“go…i’m not going anywhere.” toni says softly, understanding shining in her eyes as cheryl looks down at her with hesitation. she wants to know what they were talking about, but she’s unlikely to get any answers from toni, considering this is the most words she’s said to her in over a week.

 

“i’ll…i’ll be back.” cheryl murmurs, and toni simply nods once before cheryl turns her back on her and makes her way up the stairs quickly. she can feel veronica’s energy up the stairs rather than in the drawing room, and she sighs and makes her way up the staircase before turning right into the hallway where the dorms are.

 

god, she's never, ever, in her entire time of teaching, yelled at one of her students like that...

 

“veronica?” she calls out softly, knocking on the door before she opens it to see veronica face down on top of her bed, sobbing into her pillow. cheryl’s heart utterly _breaks_ at the sight, and veronica looks up at her with a sniff, her bottom lip trembling and tears staining her cheeks as she whimpers and sits up slowly.

 

“i…i d-didn’t mean to upset you, m-miss blossom-.”

 

“oh, sweet girl…” cheryl sighs and makes her way over to veronica’s bed, collapsing down beside the raven haired witch and wrapping her arms around her comfortingly as veronica buries her face into cheryl’s shoulder.

 

“you didn’t upset me or make me mad, veronica. i was _scared_. i told you girls to stay away from the basement for a reason-.”

 

“b-because she’s a _culebra?_ ” veronica sniffles. cheryl’s heart drops, and she looks at veronica speechlessly, her mouth dropping open as veronica wipes away her tears with a shaky sigh.

 

“she told me. i…i was in the drawing room practicing my magic and i just felt…i _felt_ how sad she was. and i wanted to help her so i th-thought i’d just peek my head in, and she was in the corner and there was so much pain, miss blossom…so much pain coming off her.” cheryl frowns, her chin resting on top of veronica’s head as she rubs her arms soothingly.

 

god, veronica’s gift is a curse as much as it’s a blessing. being an empath, being able to feel other people’s emotions…it must get so hard, and cheryl’s not making it any better by yelling at her…

 

“what did you two talk about?” cheryl murmurs. veronica swallows loudly before she pulls away from cheryl and looks at her with tear filled eyes.

 

“i asked her what her n-name was, and she said it was ‘toni’. i t-told her my name, and she said she hears you always saying my name…she said it was nice to meet me, and i s-sat down beside her and i asked her why she was sad. she told me she hasn’t h-had a very good life for the last twenty years. i asked her why, and she s-said she was turned into m-monster unwillingly. i asked her what kind of monster, and she said...she said a _culebra._ i…i don’t know what that is, miss blossom-.”

 

“it’s…it’s nothing good, veronica. what else did she say?” cheryl asks with a sigh, trying to wrap her mind around what veronica is saying as the girl purses her lips.

 

“she asked me how i could feel what she was feeling, and i told her it was one of my powers. she said she used to have powers a long time ago, and i asked her what kind, and then you came in.” veronica finishes off simply, her gaze falling down to her feet guiltily, and cheryl frowns before she grips veronica’s shoulder with a soft smile.

 

veronica's always had a sense of charm to her...the fact that she had gotten toni to talk to her...

 

“thank you, ronnie. i’m sorry i yelled at you. i was just worried that maybe she’d hurt you-.”

 

“because she’s a monster?” veronica says, looking up at her with wide eyes filled with fear. cheryl bites down on her bottom lip in hesitation before she lets out a shaky breath.

 

"yes. veronica...are you uncomfortable with her being here because of it? i know you might be scared because of it, but she can't get out of the basement, i promise. that's why i told you not to go down there, but if you think i should move her...i'll do what you want. this house is _your_ home." cheryl says firmly, and to her surprise, veronica shakes her head with a sniff.

 

“i don't think you should move her. she doesn’t seem like a monster, miss blossom. and she used to have magic before, at least that’s what she told me. she seems…scared. and lonely. i think she needs a friend more than anything.” veronica says softly.

 

cheryl feels her heart ache at those words, the thoughts of the last week she’s spent with toni, trying to force information out of her, only focusing on the _culebra_ side of her…god, what is wrong with her?

 

there was a human underneath all of that. someone with emotions, and feelings…cheryl’s been so focused on trying to fix the monster inside her, she didn’t even realize that in order to do that, she needed to get to know the other side of her…those bastards have probably spent twenty years reminding her that she’s one of them, and now cheryl’s been doing the same.

 

god, she feels horrible right now, fuck…

 

“i think she does, too, veronica…thank you, sweetheart. you did amazing. but don’t go down there again, at least not with me present, okay?” cheryl says softly, brushing veronica’s hair back from her face and smiling when she nods furiously, not wanting to disobey the supreme again. 

 

“i won’t, miss blossom, i promise. but…do you want me to keep telling you how she feels? so you can maybe help her more? i want to help her too, she seems so nice, and so sad all the time…” veronica says eagerly, clearly willing to help as much as she can after doing something she shouldn’t have done to prove herself.

 

cheryl hesitates. it feels like a major invasion of privacy, to have antoinette’s emotions at her beck and call through veronica, but at the same time…

 

she needs to know how toni’s feeling. so she can accommodate and do what she can to help her. how the hell else is this going to work? she doesn't need to know details, just...just a brush of knowledge on how she's feeling so she can help...

 

with a deep breath, cheryl looks to veronica and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before she finally nods.

 

“yes, veronica. i need you tell me _everything_ she’s feeling.”


	5. enter your own brand of hell?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> early update cause i ran a poll and yall wanted it!
> 
> i hope you guys like this one, they're getting closerrrrr because they've both suffered so muuuuch, hahaha....hmm
> 
> leave a comment letting me know what you think or you can find me on twitter at @endofdaysforme! till next week! <3

as soon as the girls are tucked into bed, cheryl makes her way down to the basement, filled with knowledge on toni’s emotions thanks to veronica, and she has her entire approach planned out.

 

veronica had told her that toni was scared, worried, afraid, and more than anything…lonely. veronica also told her there was something else there that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but it mostly involved a lot of pain and trauma, and cheryl’s determined to do what she can to help toni move past it. 

 

she’s going to stop treating toni as if she’s a _culebra_ , stop treating her as if she’s something to fix, and start treating her like an actual person. 

 

but first things first: toni needs to feed. cheryl knows she’s strong, god, the fact that she had managed to spend a good five minutes with veronica without attacking her showcases that, but still. cheryl won’t risk something like that happening again. she refuses to.

 

she knocks on the door before opening it, feeling a little guilty for the less than courteous way she barged in here earlier this afternoon, and she slowly opens the door and makes her way down, smiling as toni looks up at her from her corner in the room, her whole body trembling and shaking with exhaustion and what cheryl assumes is hunger. 

 

“hey…” cheryl croaks out, making her way over to toni and sighing before she sits down beside her, drawing her knees up to her chest and sinking back against the wall with exhaustion.

 

toni swallows thickly before she turns to look at her slowly, her trembling frame making cheryl’s heart ache, but she still smiles as best she can, and god, it makes cheryl’s heart hurt even more, that she’s still attempting some form of civility despite how hard the bloodlust must be for her right now.

 

“you weren’t…too hard…on veronica, were you?” toni gasps out, sweat dripping down her brow as cheryl purses her lips and simply shakes her head. 

 

“not at all. i apologized to her for yelling, but told her not to come back down here unless i was present.” cheryl says firmly, and toni chuckles before she nods slowly, resting her chin on top of her knees.

 

“smart idea.” she deadpans. cheryl clenches her jaw, but she inches closer regardless, sighing once again before she reaches out to touch toni’s shoulder, and when the girl doesn’t flinch away from her touch, she lets out a sigh of relief.

 

progress. it’s progress.

 

“toni…i’m sorry that i got so frantic-.”

 

“no, i get it, cheryl. i get it completely. i’m the one that’s sorry, i should’ve told her to leave, but-.”

 

“you wanted someone else to talk to. and she’s charismatic. i know.” cheryl says with a chuckle. there’s a hint of a smile on toni’s face as she nods once against her knees. it’s quiet for a few moments before toni sighs and sinks back until she’s resting against the wall as well. cheryl hesitates before she bites down on her bottom lip and looks at her.

 

“veronica can feel other people’s emotions. and she can feel yours, that’s why she came down here. she…feels for you. and after what she told me…” cheryl trails off, watching as toni closes her eyes with a trembling bottom lip, and cheryl exhales shakily as she turns on her side slightly to face toni anxiously.

 

“i wanted to apologize, toni. i’ve been treating you as nothing more than something i need to fix, some project that i need to work on when you’re not. beneath everything, you’re still a person, and i…i want you to know that i care about you. i truly do…i want to help you, not just because my mother did this to you, but because i _care._ ” cheryl croaks out, watching as toni clenches her jaw before she lets out a soft whimper, but cheryl keeps talking, desperate to get everything she needs to say out.

 

“i don’t like seeing anyone in pain, but when i see you like you are right now, struggling to fight of the bloodlust…it hurts me to see you like this. i just want to help you, toni. please, let me help you.” cheryl says softly, reaching out to grip her elbow. toni closes her eyes and lets out a shaky breath, tears falling down her cheeks before she opens her eyes, and cheryl gasps softly when she notices their shining golden, the pupils reduced to slits. 

 

“i…thank you. for saying sorry. and i’m sorry, too, for not t-talking, i just…it’s all so much-.” toni winces and shuts her eyes, digging her nails into her thighs as cheryl watches her in despair before she moves her hair back from her neck slowly, her heart pounding in her chest.

 

“you’re going to need more of my blood, toni.” cheryl says, inching closer and sighing when toni pushes herself further against the wall with a shake of her head. 

 

“cheryl, please…i don’t want it-.”

 

“toni, you saw what happened last week when you drank from me. i’m fine, i healed quickly and nothing bad happened to me. i’ll be okay, but you? you won’t be, not if you keep denying yourself the food you sorely need. and what if you had attacked veronica this afternoon? i know you’re strong, but even you can’t resist for long, toni. i need you to do this.” cheryl urges, reaching out for toni’s hand as the girl whines and tries to inch away from her touch.

 

“i…cheryl, please, just let me die.” toni croaks out. 

 

and instead of arguing, for the first time…cheryl settles back against the wall and interlaces her fingers with toni’s, their arms pressing against each other and an involuntary shudder running up cheryl’s spine at the feeling of toni’s cold skin against her own.

 

“why? why do you want to die, toni? please…just help me understand where your mind’s at.” cheryl begs desperately, her thumb brushing up and down toni’s hand as the girl looks down at their intertwined fingers with wide eyes for just a few moments before, to cheryl’s complete and utter surprise, she relaxes into her touch, her head coming to rest on cheryl’s shoulder as she sniffs once and lets out a soft whine.

 

“there’s…there’s so much pain, cheryl. i feel like i don’t have a soul anymore. nor a heart, or a bone in my body that has the ability to think positively. they took so much from me, i don’t know if i can ever recover from it, even if you were to cure me. so why…why try?” toni rasps out, her arm twitching against cheryl’s before she groans and wraps her free arm around her stomach with a wince, and cheryl blinks back her own tears and squeezes toni’s hand in her own.

 

she knows exactly what toni’s talking about, and god, it fucking _hurts_ to know that this girl went through anything similar to what cheryl went through. she was abused, tortured, physically and verbally by penelope blossom for so long, it felt like every attack she suffered through chipped away at a piece of her heart more and more with each passing day that she had to go through it.

 

but then she became the supreme. her mother died, and cheryl gained all these powers, gained access to magic she never dreamed of having, became a teacher, a mother figure to those girls upstairs, and those parts of her heart that were so broken…they _healed_.

 

and for a moment, just a moment…she feels brave.

 

brave enough to press a kiss to toni’s hair, ignoring the way she stiffens against cheryl with a soft gasp before cheryl rests her chin on top of toni’s head gently. 

 

“because i know what it’s like to go through all that pain, toni. i suffered for seventeen years at the hands of penelope blossom, and by the end of it, i felt like i had no soul, either. but those girls upstairs, and the _magic_ that i came to possess when she died…that healed me more than i can ever put into words. we can find that thing that heals you, toni. you’re never going back there, i swear to you on my life, i will _die_ before i let f.p jones take you again. you’re safe here… _you can heal now._ ” 

 

toni’s bottom lip trembles, unbeknownst to cheryl, who can’t see her face with her chin on top of her head, but she does shake her own against her before squeezing cheryl’s hand tightly and swallowing thickly before she talks.

 

“you don’t know them like i do, cheryl. they’re probably scouring the entire town for me-.”

 

“and they’ll never find you. this place is hidden from humans and creatures alike, the only ones who can see it are other witches. i’ve placed every protection spell possible around this entire estate, toni. hey…” cheryl, in another rush of bravery, reaches her free hand up and ducks it under toni’s chin, pulling back and lifting the girl’s face until they’re making eye contact, and god, they’re faces are so close, but cheryl’s not about to make the same mistake she made last time…no matter how goddamn tempted she is to do it…

 

_focus, cheryl, please…i know she’s beautiful, but she’s also in pain…help her._

 

“you’re under the protection of a supreme. there’s not a single person, witch or creature or human alike, on this planet that is stronger than i am. so when i say you’re safe, i truly, deeply mean… _you’re safe_ , toni.” cheryl breathes, watching as those golden eyes flicker back to brown for just the briefest moment, toni’s bottom lip trembling before all too quickly, she’s moving over cheryl’s body, her knees landing on either side of her outstretched legs as she wraps her arms around cheryl tightly, sobbing into her shoulder loudly while cheryl sits there in stunned silence.

 

“th-thank you. th-thank you for s-saving me-.” toni chokes out, and cheryl rubs her back soothingly, blinking back her own tears as she buries her face into toni’s neck with a sigh.

 

“you’re more than welcome, toni.” she breathes, a shiver running up her spine when toni sniffs lightly and pulls back to look into her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks and her eyes shining golden as she grips cheryl’s shoulders tightly, that pain shining more and more the longer she continues to go without blood…

 

“i care about you, too.” toni whispers, her gaze dropping down to avoid eye contact as she sniffs once and swallows thickly before a soft smile takes over her face, her eyes closing and the tears clinging to her eyelashes slowly falling.

 

“those twenty years i spent with…with _them_ …i’d find myself wondering sometimes if that little girl with the red hair was okay. i guess now i have my answer.” she says softly, finally looking up to meet cheryl’s eyes, and cheryl is practically digging her nails into the fabric of toni’s shirt, tugging on it slightly to stop herself from doing what she’s wanted to do from the moment she laid eyes on this girl before her…

 

_stop, cheryl…please just focus on helping her…_

 

“you asked me where my mind’s at…where’s yours, cheryl?” toni whispers, nails digging slightly into cheryl’s shoulders as she bites down on her bottom lip, the scales rippling over her face, and cheryl licks her lips before she shakes her head and curls her fingers around toni’s wrist on her right shoulder, moving toni’s hand to brush her own hair back from her neck.

 

this can wait.

 

toni needs blood. now.

 

“feed first. then i’ll tell you.” cheryl says firmly. toni’s breath hitches, her thumb brushing over cheryl’s pulse point, this soft moan escaping her at the feeling of it thrumming against her, and she bites down on her bottom lip again before she looks cheryl in the eyes with nothing but guilt shining in them despite the golden slits that’s taken them over. 

 

“cheryl…are you sure?” she asks softly. cheryl smiles and nods once, tilting her head to the side and letting out a nervous, shaky breath as she does.

 

“positive. it’ll keep you feeling better for longer, and i’ll feel more comfortable having you in the house knowing you won’t attack any of the girls. so yes…i’m sure.” cheryl swallows down the lump in her throat as toni’s fingers continue to brush over her throat softly, the goosebumps exploding up her back at the cold temperature of them before toni lets out a shaky breath and leans in just a little closer with a reassuring smile.

 

“take as much as you want this time, toni. no one’s stopping you anymore.” cheryl murmurs, watching as toni licks her lips before she looks into cheryl’s eyes anxiously.

 

“when…when it gets too much, just throw me off, cheryl. promise me you’ll do that. use whatever magic it takes, just get me off you. i…i don’t know if i’ll be able to control myself.” toni murmurs, her golden eyes meeting cheryl’s, and cheryl finds herself running her hands up and down toni’s sides over the fabric of the black sleeveless shirt she’s wearing, a smile lighting up her face before she cocks an eyebrow at her to portray some form of bravery despite what little bravery she currently feels right now.

 

“you can control yourself, toni. i know you can-.”

 

“promise me.” toni says more firmly, her jaw clenching as cheryl looks up at her for a few moments before she finally sighs and nods once.

 

“okay. i will, i promise.” 

 

toni purses her lips and nods once before she inhales sharply, her thumb brushing over cheryl’s jawline before she swallows thickly and slowly begins to lean in.

 

cheryl can’t help the way her breath hitches, the way her heart begins to race erratically, but before she has time to really think about what’s about to happen, she feels something sharp press against the base where her neck and shoulder meet before the pain floods through.

 

she lets out a whimper before she bites down on her bottom lip to stop herself from crying out, not wanting toni to feel more guilty than she likely already does, her eyes squeezing shut as toni uses one hand to hold the other side of her neck, cupping it as she brushes her thumb over cheryl’s jawline reassuringly while her other hand moves down to interlace with cheryl’s, fingers squeezing comfortingly. 

 

toni barely drinks from her for thirty seconds before she pulls back, and cheryl lets out a whine and shakes her head before moving her hand up to grip the back of toni’s neck to pull her back down.

 

“k-keep going, i’m f-fine.” cheryl chokes out, shivering as toni leans back in, those goddamn teeth sinking back into her neck and causing her to groan loudly-

 

she feels toni tense up against her, but cheryl grips the back of her shirt and whispers that she’s okay once more, the girl grunting against her as her fingers squeeze cheryl’s hand in what she thinks is an effort to not drain cheryl dry, and the thought has her heart racing, but she ignores it.

 

toni’s nails dig into the back of her neck, and cheryl knows she’s trying hard to pull away, but cheryl doesn’t stop her. she won’t let toni go, not until she drinks as much as she can get from her. she won’t let toni continue to suffer, and she won’t put those other girls at risk, even if there’s a protection spell over the basement to stop toni from getting out of it. veronica had snuck down here just this afternoon, if toni hadn’t had the self-control she does…

 

_cheryl…things are getting dark now, maybe you should pull her off…_

 

no…no she can take a little more, it’s okay…

 

cheryl’s eyes swim with blurriness, her grip on the back of toni’s shirt loosening, and her grip on toni’s hand loosens as her eyes slowly begin to close-

 

she hears toni growl loudly against her neck before she finally pulls back, the girl gasping loudly as her eyes shine before she looks down at cheryl with blood dripping from her canines down her chin, and cheryl feels that same nauseating, gut twisting feeling from last week take over her stomach-

 

“cheryl! hey, cheryl, look at me!” 

 

soft fingers grip her face, and toni’s face swims in and out of vision before the corners of her eyes begin to turn black, but not before she feels herself being pulled forward, her head coming to rest on a hard shoulder as a soft voice whispers into her ear…

 

“i’m sorry…you’re okay, you’re gonna be okay…” 

 

\-----

 

when cheryl wakes up, it’s to the feeling of soft fingers brushing through her hair again, and cheryl groans loudly at the headache pounding behind her eyes before she slowly blinks them open, the blurriness fading as her fingers subconsciously reach for her neck to find that once again, there’s no marks there, no pain.

 

she smiles before she looks up a little further, adjusting herself against the soft flesh beneath her head-

 

toni stares down at her anxiously, and when she sees cheryl blink her eyes open, she lets out a sigh of relief, a shaky smile taking over her face as cheryl looks up at her blearily.

 

“hi.” cheryl croaks out. toni chuckles, her grip tightening for just a moment in cheryl’s hair before she removes her fingers altogether.

 

“hi.” she whispers back. cheryl bites back a whine at the loss of her fingers in her hair, and instead pushes herself up off toni’s lap with a groan, glancing around the basement to see the moonlight is still shining through the blurred window.

 

“how long was i out for this time?” cheryl asks, turning to face toni as the girl draws her knees up to her chest once more, resting her chin on top of them with a sigh.

 

“about two hours. it was a little longer this time…probably because i took more.” toni says guiltily, but cheryl doesn’t feel too bad, apart from the headache and the general nausea in her stomach that’s already beginning to fade.

 

she observes toni carefully, takes in the smooth skin of her complexion, now looking so much healthier than cheryl’s ever seen it, the lack of dark circles and bags under her eyes, the way her eyes shine…

 

_my god, she’s beautiful…_

 

“toni…you look amazing.” cheryl breathes. toni looks at her with a smirk, and cheryl feels her cheeks immediately flush as she ducks her gaze and clears her throat.

 

“i…i just meant you look healthier than i’ve ever seen you since we met. you look…good.” she finishes somewhat lamely, blushing even more when toni lets out a soft chuckle before she bites down on her bottom lip, all traces of humor gone.

 

“cheryl…i’m sorry-.” toni starts, her voice raspy, but cheryl shakes her head with a warm smile, unable to contain it at the sight of toni looking so healthy.

 

“i’m okay, toni, please don’t worry about me.” she reassures her, smiling in awe at the way toni’s skin just seems to shine so much brighter now that she’s fed properly, and toni looks at her in complete and utter awe and wonder before she scoffs and shakes her head.

 

“how?” she breathes. cheryl smiles and scoots closer to her with a shrug, crossing her legs beneath her and fiddling with the small strings from the bottom of the blanket on top of the mattress they’re sitting on.

 

“it’s one of my powers. as the supreme, i have an abundance of abilities…including the seven wonders. but healing was one of the abilities of mine that was always stronger than any of the others. it was probably my body’s way of making up for the years of abuse i suffered at my mother’s hands. it only started to show when i was beginning to rise as supreme, and it kicked in fully once i became supreme.” cheryl says with a sigh, averting her gaze down to the blanket, and she hears toni swallow loudly before she nudges her foot a little closer until it’s tapping cheryl’s knee, forcing her to look up into bright brown eyes and the most stunning smile. 

 

“the seven wonders…i’ve heard of them a lot, but what are they?” she asks with curiosity. cheryl’s smile only widens, her heart thundering in her ears as she leans in a little closer and clears her throat, lifting her hand to begin lifting a finger to count off each of the seven wonders as she names them.

 

“telekinesis, which is simple enough…moving things with your mind. concilium, the ability to impose one’s will onto another, and one that i forbid myself from using. i don’t like the idea of forcing my will on someone else, but…it is an ability that i have.” cheryl says, trying to ignore the guilt that rises in her at the thought of that ability.

 

she had contemplated using it on toni to make her drink from her this afternoon, but at the end of it all, cheryl couldn’t do it…no, she _refused_ to. cheryl wasn’t like her mother, who used that goddamn ability for everything it was worth…

 

before toni can say anything, cheryl keeps talking, desperate to change the subject in case toni catches on.

 

“then there’s pyrokinesis, which you’ve seen…being able to light things on fire with the mind. divination, which is being able to obtain direct knowledge of an object, person, location or event through means other than being told about it. it’s not my strongest power, and one i have difficulty accessing, but…i was able to use it during the seven wonders test, so i know it’s in there somewhere.” cheryl sighs, wishing more than anything that she had more control over _that_ power.

 

she could use it to find out more about toni instead of having to go to veronica for her empathic abilities…

 

“transmutation…the ability to transport from one place to another instantly without physically occupying the space between.” cheryl says, holding up a fifth finger and smirking at the way toni is looking at her in complete and utter awe before she continues. the last two are bound to make her head spin, which is exactly why cheryl’s saved them for last.

 

“ _vitalum vitalis._ the ability to balance the scales between one life force and another, meaning we can heal those near death, and even resurrect those that are dead.” toni’s mouth drops open, and cheryl lets out a chuckle despite herself before she holds up a seventh finger and fights back the shiver that runs up her spine at the thought of it.

 

“and lastly…descensum. the ability to descend into the netherworlds of the afterlife. to go straight to hell and to come back unharmed…physically, at least. i’m sure you’ve heard that every person’s brand of hell is different…a mixture of their own worst fears.”

 

cheryl’s heart is pounding in her chest, and she can feel her back twinge with the memory of the pain as toni looks at her with this strange expression that cheryl can’t interpret.

 

“yes…we believe that papa legba delivers us to our own underworld when we pass…if we’ve committed crimes not worthy of entering the peaceful realm of the afterlife.” toni’s jaw clenches tightly, but she blinks back her tears and looks up at cheryl before she clears her throat and nods at her.

 

“did…did you have to do that? to become the supreme? enter your own brand of hell?” toni breathes out. cheryl purses her lips and swallows thickly before she nods, and she knows what question is coming before toni even asks it.

 

“what was it?” toni whispers. 

 

it’s on the tip of her tongue, really.

 

but the memories are still so strong, still so present, that cheryl’s heart squeezes and she can barely get the words out, each letter stuck in her throat and making her whine before she squeezes her eyes shut and simply shakes her head.

 

“hey…hey, it’s okay. you don’t have to tell me.” toni says softly, reaching out to grip cheryl’s hand in her own tightly. cheryl simply gives her a shaky smile and squeezes her hand, blinking back her tears before she averts her gaze once more. 

 

“i can’t believe you survived that, though…having to go through your own version of hell and coming back out of it with that much power still in you…i wish i had that kind of strength.” toni murmurs, twisting her fingers together as her gaze drops down to them, and cheryl frowns before she reaches out to close her hand over both of toni’s with a soft smile as the girl’s eyes move up to meet her own.

 

she doesn’t see it, and it makes cheryl not only sad, but incredibly frustrated. toni had so much bravery in her, why couldn’t she see that…

 

“you _do_ have that kind of strength, toni. you didn’t attack veronica, you didn’t hurt her despite how much you needed blood. you’re a strong person-.”

 

“i wanted to, cheryl. i wanted to attack her, and if you hadn’t come in when you did, if you’d left it even five minutes longer-.” toni’s voice is shaking, and cheryl squeezes her hand before she shakes her head furiously.

 

“you still wouldn’t have hurt her. i believe that with everything in me, toni, i…i know you’ve been through something horrible, and i know the last twenty years have been nothing but torture, but if you dig deep…god, if you dig deep, toni, i promise you, you’re going to find the strength you never even knew you had. the strength to move on from this, to pick yourself back up and _keep going_.” cheryl says eagerly, willing toni to see where she’s coming from, and the _culebra_ girl looks up at her with tears in her eyes, her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip before exhales shakily.

 

“i…i don’t know how to do that, cheryl.” she whispers. cheryl lets out a shaky breath of her own before she inches a little closer, her hand moving up and down the bare skin of toni’s arm as she offers her the best smile she can muster.

 

“then i can teach you. i did it when my mother died, and it changed my life…i can help you, toni.” cheryl says softly, knowing that despite how hard it had been for her to recover from the years and years of abuse hurled at her by her mother, despite how difficult it had been to move past all that pain…if she can do it so can toni.

 

and there it is.

 

something that cheryl hasn’t seen at all from the moment she met toni, but something she’s been wanting to see since then, shining in her tear filled eyes so brilliant, cheryl mentally scolds herself to stop staring.

 

hope.

 

“you can?” toni breathes, her fingers squeezing cheryl’s as the red haired girl shakes her head to pull herself out of her daze, smiling once before she nods.

 

“i can. we can help each other, toni. you tell me what you know about the _culebras_ so i can look for a cure, and i’ll help you move past all the pain the last twenty years have caused you. sound like a deal?” cheryl teases, grinning when toni chuckles before she bites down on her bottom lip with hesitation shining clearly in her eyes, but cheryl gives her the time.

 

she knows toni needs this…and she can do this for her, she can…

 

finally…after a few long minutes, cheryl watches as toni finally nods once.

 

“okay. you’ve got yourself a deal, supreme.” 

 

\------

two more weeks go by, but cheryl starts to lose track of time.

 

everything blurs into mornings spent with toni, afternoons spent teaching her girls their magic and helping develop their skills, evenings spent winding down watching a movie with them before they retire to bed, and nights spent with toni as well, talking about anything…and _everything._

 

toni tells her everything she knows, or well, everything f.p jones told her about the _culebras_ , and cheryl does her best to hold toni’s hand throughout it every time they talk, the memories making the former voodoo witch clench her jaw with anger and fear every time she talks about him. the memories still hurt, and cheryl suspect they’ll never stop hurting, but the fact that she’s pushing forward to inform cheryl of everything she knows…it’s more progress. and cheryl couldn’t be prouder or happier.

 

toni tells cheryl new information that she didn’t know. the _culebras_ mutated from vampires over a hundred years ago when a vampire was captured by humans and thrown into a pit of snakes, the venom from the creatures turning the vampire into what toni is now. he attacked the humans who tortured him, and as a result, this version of vampires began to spread. 

 

that vampire was f.p jones himself. cheryl was in complete and utter surprise when toni told her this, but the girl continued talking, and cheryl continued to listen. she tells cheryl a little more about their weaknesses and abilities…they have unnatural speed and strength, don’t require human food at all, burn in sunlight and, which is the biggest news of all…can only be killed if their hearts are ripped from their chests.

 

“so…that’s the only thing that kills _culebras?_ ” cheryl had said in shock, and when toni had simply nodded, cheryl had filed the information away before allowing toni to continue talking.

 

they talk until the late hours of the morning, cheryl, on more than one occasion, looking out of the window in shock at the sunlight beginning to filter through the now stained and fogged glass, but she just can’t help it. talking with toni is so refreshing, and god, the girl _listens._ cheryl tells her about what she’s been doing the last four years as supreme, how she got into teaching, talks a little bit about the girls and toni listens on with rapt attention before she talks more about the _culebras_. it’s a constant exchange, and sometimes, cheryl even finds them sitting in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the feeling not uncomfortable or awkward at all, a complete contrast of anything else she’s experienced.

 

the information also gives her a bit more insight on what she can do to strip toni of her vampirism, and cheryl begins working on tweaking the spell to strip vampirism to apply for a _culebra_. she has no idea if it will work, no idea if it’s something she can even do, but cheryl puts every single ounce of effort into it, early mornings spent pouring over her book of shadows with toni in the basement, the girl looking at the pages in awe and wonder while cheryl writes down anything she can find that might help with a furrowed brow.

 

“god, all this magic…it’s amazing, cheryl…” toni had whispered in awe, and that’s when cheryl had decided, with her eyes fixed on the excitement in toni’s eyes as she had flipped through the pages of her book of shadows with a smile to die for.

 

a week after she and toni had begun spending almost every waking moment of cheryl’s spare time together, toni had begun to show signs of fatigue and exhaustion again, and cheryl had let toni feed on her once more, the girl taking just that little bit more once again at cheryl’s request, and when cheryl had woken up, she had taken toni’s hand in her own and made her decision.

 

“toni…would you like to get out of the basement and meet the girls? maybe sit in on one of my teaching sessions?”

 

cheryl knows toni can handle it, when the girl’s fully fed she’s barely volatile, becomes a completely different person to the one cheryl meet almost a month ago, one filled with excitement and happiness, but still, toni had hesitated for at least a full day before agreeing that the basement was getting a little stifling, but made cheryl promise that at any sign of her losing control, she’d throw her right back in.

 

of course, that never happened.

 

cheryl had lifted the spell over the basement that day with nothing but nerves pounding through her, but had taken toni’s hand in her own and had led her straight to the dining room that afternoon where all the girls were practicing their magic. veronica had brightened up as soon as toni had entered the room, had run over and taken toni’s hand before dragging her to sit down beside her with nothing but excitement, and toni had watched in amusement as cheryl stood at the front of the table and looked at the girls with a fond smile, lingering just a little longer on toni than the others.

 

“girls, this is toni topaz. she’s just here to watch you girls practice your magic for a bit, okay? now, how far are we moving along with the butterflies? who’s made any progress?”

 

veronica, diana, betty and tina excelled beyond anything cheryl’s ever seen, the boxes of butterflies in front of each of them bursting open and allowing the beautiful creatures to escape and flutter around the table as the girls used their magic to make the colors of their wings change and shine brighter. 

 

cheryl had dimmed the lights in the dining room and closed the curtains using her own magic until all that lit the room were different colors of purple, pink, red, yellow and blue, the butterflies moving around the room quickly and changing consistently as the girls clapped their hands with excitement.

 

as for toni…

 

toni had watched on with tears falling down her face, this look of anguish, but also complete and utter happiness taking over her features, and when cheryl had retreated to the basement with her that evening, toni had cried and cried, weeping tears of joy as cheryl held her close until the girl had finally whispered…

 

“i miss it, cheryl…i miss my magic so much…”

 

since that day over a week ago now, cheryl’s been more determined than ever to _make this work._

 

she’s consulted with archie andrews, who had warned her not to do it, had forgotten about him and moved on to josie, who also told her she was crazy, but said she was looking into things on her side of new orleans as well, that she hasn’t given up on toni just yet after her mother had told her to do whatever it takes to get toni’s magic back, much to cheryl’s pleasure.

 

toni continued to move upstairs in the days following to watch the girls use their magic, the happiness in her eyes continuously making cheryl’s heart ache with affection before she’d come crashing down into a heap of sadness when toni would cry in her arms every night after. she knows exactly how toni feels, had watched her mother use her magic without being able to tap into her own for fear of what her mother would do to her if she saw her practicing magic, and now toni was here, too, unable to connect to her own because of penelope blossom…

 

_god, if there was ever a woman i hated more…_

 

it’s been two weeks, but cheryl’s lost track of time, because toni topaz opens up to her about more than just the _culebras._ toni opens up to her about her mother, about how much she misses her, about the days she used to be a voodoo witch of new orleans, about the magic she used to practice and the way it used to warm her heart…and cheryl finds herself staring at this girl before her with nothing but awe every single time she talks about it. because the look in toni’s eyes when she talks about her mother or her home or her magic…it’s something cheryl’s never seen before. it’s beyond hope and love, beyond happiness and bliss…cheryl can’t describe it.

 

it’s been two weeks, but cheryl’s lost track of time staring into toni topaz’s eyes.

 

but one thing she hasn’t lost track of…

 

“toni?” 

 

she knocks on the door softly before opening it, glancing up at the staircase to make sure none of the girls are awake before she makes her way down the stairs. veronica’s still the only one who’s aware that toni is living in the basement and is still the only one aware of what toni is because cheryl was worried of how the other girls would react to hearing _that_ news, but she’s been spending almost every moment with toni now, so she didn’t feel the need to put the protection spell back over the basement.

 

besides, toni had told her the other day, in quite harrowing fashion, that she would rather throw herself into the sunlight than hurt any of her girls, and the way she had said it with so much sincerity had sent a shiver up her spine that told her that toni was telling nothing but the truth.

 

but regardless, toni doesn’t roam the house without cheryl by her side, chooses to remain in the basement at all times, and that’s exactly where cheryl finds her, rocking back and forth in the corner before she looks up at cheryl’s approach with a groan of relief.

 

“thank god…” she jumps up and runs straight to cheryl, practically jumping on top of her in a warm embrace as cheryl stumbles back from the impact before she chuckles and runs a hand up and down her back soothingly, surprise over this warm welcome taking her over, but also making her heart race happily at the feeling of toni’s body against her own.

 

“hi…are you okay?” cheryl asks softly, and toni shivers as she pulls back and looks at cheryl with nothing but guilt shining in her eyes, but cheryl can see the blush in her cheeks, and tries to focus on that instead of the dark circles and bags under her eyes.

 

“i just…the bloodlust is getting bad again, and you always have a way of making me feel calm. it feels like it’s been days since this afternoon when i saw you last…” she says shakily, this small smile lighting her face up, and cheryl tries to ignore the way her heart skips a beat at those words and the sight of that smile as she chuckles and raises an eyebrow.

 

“ah, so you’re excited because your blood donor is here?” she teases. toni’s eyes widen before she groans and punches cheryl in the arm lightly, that guilt returning in full form as she shakes her head furiously.

 

“you’re not just a blood donor, don’t say that…” she grumbles, scuffing her foot on the ground as cheryl laughs loudly and grips her hand in her own. 

 

“i know, i’m just teasing. did you want to head upstairs for a shower?” cheryl asks with a smile. toni simply nods a few times, a smile lighting up her face as well before cheryl squeezes her hand and leads her up the stairs of the basement.

 

she’s already laid out clothes for toni, who chuckles as soon as they walk through cheryl’s room at the sight of new pajamas laying on her king sized bed. cheryl bites down on her bottom lip as toni finally drops her hand and makes her way over to the bed to pick up the clothes, her heart beating erratically at what she’s about to suggest.

 

“hey, toni?” cheryl calls out, watching as toni pauses at the door to the bathroom and turns to look back at her with a smile. 

 

“yeah?” she croaks out. cheryl licks her lips before she exhales shakily to release some nervous energy.

 

“i was thinking…if you’d like, we can stay up here after you’re done? the mattress downstairs isn’t the comfiest, and i’d much prefer we do the feeding in my room so i can crash out on my own bed, you know? if you don’t want to, it’s okay, i just…thought i’d ask.” cheryl finishes lamely, trying to keep the shakiness out of her tone, but the sight of toni’s eyes widening as she bites down on her bottom lip has her second guessing this proposition as toni licks her lips before she sighs.

 

“i…can i think about it while i shower?” she asks. cheryl purses her lips and simply nods once with a smile, and toni returns her smile before she steps into the bathroom and closes the door behind her softly. 

 

cheryl lets out a shaky breath, but smiles at the sound of the shower turning on before she grabs her book of shadows on top of her dresser and sets herself up on her bed, flipping through the pages and writing down notes as she tries to focus on the task in front of her and not the prospect of toni sleeping in the same room and, possibly, the same bed as her tonight. 

 

she’s exhausted. this week has been so tiring, and she’s barely getting any sleep, constantly pouring over her book of shadows to find a cure for toni…but despite her fatigue, cheryl refuses to give up. she doesn’t need sleep, all she needs is to find a way to help toni, to cure her of this thing that’s taken over her life, ruined it, made her hate herself, wish for death when she was so, so, so _good_ , so pure and innocent, it’s not fair…

 

a few more minutes pass before she hears the spray of water stop, and about a minute later, the door opens and toni steps out, her hair damp and her smile wide as she runs her towel through her hair, watching as cheryl writes down one last thing from the book before she closes it and looks up at toni with a smile.

 

“feeling better?” she asks softly. toni purses her lips and nods once before she sets the towel on the hook on the back of the bathroom door and simply stands there, twisting her fingers anxiously and averting her gaze as she does.

 

“yeah…thanks, cher.” she croaks out, cheryl unable to contain her smile at the nickname. toni had left it slip a few days ago, and when she tried to backtrack, cheryl simply shook her head and took her hand before smiling.

 

“i like it.” she had whispered, and the responding smile she’d gotten from toni had been earth shattering.

 

“cheryl, are…are you sure you wanna do this in here? what if i get blood on the sheets or something-.” toni starts, wincing at her own words, but cheryl simply places her book of shadows on the bedside table with a chuckle and a raised eyebrow.

 

“you’re pretty good at being clean about it, toni. and if you do…i’m a witch, remember? i can clean things up with a snap of my fingers. i’m more concerned about this being uncomfortable for _you_ , because if it is, i-.”

 

“no! no, it’s…it’s not uncomfortable at all.” toni says quickly, licking her lips and smiling as cheryl laughs a little louder before she cocks an eyebrow again and pats the spot on the bed beside her.

 

“then come here. i know you’re starving.” cheryl easily swipes her hair from her neck as toni hesitates, her teeth clutching her bottom lip before she sighs and clambers onto the bed slowly, coming to a stop right beside cheryl and crossing her legs under her lap. cheryl reaches out to grip her hand and tug her closer, but toni suddenly inhales sharply, interlaces their fingers before reaching up with her free hand to brush her thumb over the dark circles under cheryl’s eyes. 

 

“you look exhausted, cheryl…” she murmurs, frowning as cheryl licks her lips before she shakes her head with a smile, squeezing toni’s hand in her own reassuringly.

 

“i’m okay, don’t worry about me, toni.” she says softly, ignoring the way toni’s frown only deepens as she tugs her closer and uncrosses her own legs from under her lap to allow toni to fill the space between her propped up knees.

 

toni swallows thickly before she’s reaching a tanned hand up to brush her fingers over cheryl’s neck, up and down the pale skin in such a soft, soothing manner that it sends goosebumps up cheryl’s spine, her neck arching on its own accord to give toni more room to do as she wish. 

 

but toni takes her time, one hand brushing up and down her neck, the other reaching up to cup her jawline before she’s sighing shakily and adjusting herself until she’s holding cheryl’s face in her hands and looking into her eyes with the most sincere look cheryl’s ever received from the girl. 

 

“i worry, cheryl. i know you’re strong, you’re the supreme, for god’s sake, but even _you_ have your limits, and me taking blood from you every week and pumping you with _culebra_ venom…how do we know it isn’t affecting you-.”

 

“toni, stop…” cheryl’s fingers curl around the wrists of the hands holding her face, a shiver running up her spine at the cold temperature of toni’s skin as it always does before she smiles reassuringly and shakes her head.

 

“it’s not because of that, toni. i’m just…tired. pouring over all these books, looking for a cure for you, trying to process all this information you’ve been giving me…i don’t think i’ve slept properly in weeks. it’s not the venom, i promise, but still, i don’t want you to feel bad about it because i _want_ to do this, and i won’t stop until i find a way to help you. but i’m just…tired.” cheryl finishes somewhat lamely, scoffing at her own lack of ability to speak right now before toni’s suddenly scratching her fingers through her scalp tenderly with a small smile.

 

“you’re sensational, cheryl blossom.” she whispers. cheryl smiles up at her weakly, and before she can even react, toni leans in, and cheryl’s frozen in complete and utter disbelief as toni presses a soft and gentle kiss to her brow, her lips cold against her warm skin as her nails continue scratching at her scalp affectionately. 

 

“come on, let’s get you nice and fed.” cheryl croaks out, adjusting herself and gripping toni’s waist to steady herself properly as she leans back against the headboard with a shaky sigh, and toni bites down on her bottom lip before she shakes her head and grips cheryl’s hands in her own. 

 

“lay down.” she murmurs. cheryl raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t fight toni when she adjusts herself and gently pulls cheryl down from the headboard by her hips until her head is resting on the pillow and her back is pressed against the mattress. she waits patiently as toni sits beside her, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths in, and when she opens them, cheryl sees her eyes are now shining golden, pupils reduced to slits, the eyes of a snake staring back at her, but the scales don’t ripple over her face like they usually do…

 

_she’s gaining better control over the monster in her now that she’s being fed properly…oh, cheryl, sometimes being the sacrificial lamb **does** fucking pay off…_

 

“may i?” she croaks out. cheryl simply purses her lips and nods, isn’t sure what exactly she’s just given toni permission to do, but she doesn’t have to wonder for long.

 

toni suddenly moves over, swings a leg over cheryl’s body until she’s straddling the redhead’s hips, and cheryl swallows thickly, fear and anxiety pounding through her because she has no fucking idea what to do with her hands before toni’s deciding for her.

 

“dig your nails in when it gets too much, okay?” toni rasps, tongue flicking out to wet her lips as she rests cheryl’s hands over the smooth, tanned flesh of her thighs.

 

cheryl bites back a whine, doesn’t trust herself to speak and simply nods furiously, and god, she can fucking feel how hard she’s blushing right now, her cheeks feel like they’re on fire, this sucks, this sucks, this _sucks-_

 

toni suddenly grips her jaw lightly, forcing cheryl to look up at her as she smiles, and cheryl simply returns a shaky one of her own before toni’s bending down over her body with a sigh, the fingers on her jaw pushing her head to the side slightly before her lips are brushing over cheryl’s neck-

 

cheryl inhales shakily despite herself, and toni pauses, her lips still against cheryl’s neck and her fingers clutching the pillow by cheryl’s head to steady herself as she leans up until her lips are against cheryl’s ear.

 

“are you okay?” she whispers softly. cheryl purses her lips and moves the hands at toni’s thighs up to her shirt to grip it between her fingers, nodding once and pulling toni’s body flush against hers with a trembling sigh.

 

“i’m fine. just…used to doing this sitting up.” she mumbles. toni hums softly in her ear before she responds.

 

“we can sit up if you want, it’s just…i can control the blood flow better in this position, it won’t get everywhere-.”

 

“no, it’s…whatever makes you comfortable, toni.” cheryl reiterates, arching her neck a little further and biting down on her bottom lip to stifle a giggle when the action causes toni to whine into her ear loudly before her lips are brushing over cheryl’s pulse point once more. 

 

it’s so intimate, beyond anything cheryl’s ever experienced before with someone, and god, toni’s taking her absolute time as if she’s worshipping cheryl’s body, the red haired girl trapped beneath the slim, tanned figure of toni’s as she roams her hands up and down cheryl’s sides painstakingly slowly, her lips not kissing, but just moving over the skin of her neck, the vibrations of the humming noises she makes every once in a while causing cheryl to shiver beneath her without fail every time…

 

“are you ready?” toni whispers. cheryl rests the side of her face against toni’s ear and nods against her, unable to hold back the soft mewl that escapes her when toni brushes her thumb over cheryl’s jawline and gently guides her face to the side, her nose nuzzling the expanse of her neck before cheryl feels a sharp pain in the usual place toni feeds: the base where her neck and shoulder meet. 

 

it apparently is the only place close to a reliable source of blood (the pulse point), that doesn’t cause blood to spurt everywhere when bitten into, according to toni, anyway, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt any less as cheryl lets out a whimper and grips the fabric at the back of toni’s shirt, her eyes screwed shut in pain as toni settles down on her a little harder to pin her to the mattress and stop her from moving in case she hurts herself. 

 

cheryl tries her best to relax into the matress and into toni’s touch, but the girl suddenly snakes an arm under her back and lifts her off the mattress a little until their bodies are pressed flushed against each other’s, cheryl’s head tilting back and allowing toni to nuzzle closer to her neck as she grunts against her, and cheryl exhales shakily at the feeling of toni’s tongue lapping against her skin, goosebumps erupting over every inch of her skin at the way toni moans against her in ecstasy over the taste that’s flooding her mouth right now…

 

a good three minutes pass, and when cheryl’s eyes begin to darken and that familiar nausea builds in her stomach, cheryl digs her nails into toni’s thighs with a whimper, feels the _culebra_ girl pull away from her slowly, those goddamn canines sliding out of her skin before toni’s brushing her tongue over the wounds to stop any blood from leaking onto the sheets beneath them.

 

“thank you, cheryl.” toni whispers, prompting cheryl to simply smile with a nod before she groans at the burning feeling in her stomach, and toni pulls back completely, cheryl’s vision focused only on the blood staining her teeth before her canines shrink and her eyes turn back to that beautiful brown color that cheryl adores so much…

 

“you’re so beautiful…” cheryl blurts out in a mess of slurred words, unable to contain herself in this drunken like state of blood loss, and she doesn’t notice the way toni stiffens at those words, doesn’t notice how she exhales shakily before she smiles and reaches out to brush her fingers through cheryl’s hair softly.

 

“i think you’re beautiful too, cheryl. the most beautiful girl i’ve ever seen…” toni whispers, and god, cheryl’s heart is racing so quickly, and she wants nothing more than to grab toni by her shirt and tug her down until their lips meet, to kiss her fiercely and never let her go, but her arms are so heavy…they feel like fucking lead, and her eyes are getting darker and darker as she whimpers and desperately reaches out for something-

 

toni’s cold fingers slide into her own easily, grounding her as she coos softly and continues running her fingers through cheryl’s hair.

 

“shh, it’s okay…you’re tired, cher, you should spend tonight sleeping, we don't have to talk about the cure or about my life or yours tonight. let me go back down to the basement and you can sleep this off and get proper rest-.”

 

“no…no, s-stay…p-please stay, t-toni…” cheryl whimpers, gripping toni’s hand and attempting to pull her closer, but god, she’s so weak, and she’s losing the fight quickly now, she’s about to slip…

 

“cheryl, i-.”

 

“stay…please…” cheryl breathes out, unable to keep her eyes open any longer, but she hears toni sigh loudly before soft lips are pressed against her brow once more, this giddy feeling exploding inside of her before she fades completely into darkness.

 

“okay…i’ll stay, cheryl…i’ll stay as long as you want me to.”


	6. for being you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS: PAST RAPE, ABUSE AND VIOLENCE
> 
> this chapter is heavy. probably one of the heaviest chapters i've ever written, and god was it hard to write, but it was necessary. please, if any of these things are triggering to you, do not read this chapter, or skip the part where we flash back to toni's past. your mental health comes first and it would kill me to be responsible for anyone suffering while reading my fics. these characters are completely au inspired, so some of them are gonna be villians where they're not in the show, like f.p and jughead. don't hold it against me. i don't harbor a lot of love for their characters, but i don't believe their capable of the things they've done in this fic, either. like i said, a COMPLETE alternate universe. i love you guys and i hope you enjoy the good parts of this chapter at the very least. i'll also be changing the update schedule to tuesdays because it's easier for me to be honest.
> 
> onto an even heavier subject: as we all know, luke perry, who plays fred andrews on riverdale, passed away this week, and the fans as well as the cast are mourning. from the stories people have told about him, he was an incredible man with a heart of gold. i'm considering writing a fred andrews fic in his honor, and if that's something you would like to read, i'd love to hear your comments on it as well as on this chapter, so let me know!
> 
> alright, this is long enough now. i hope i've covered everything. the last chapter for "it's a dangerous game" will also be uploaded soon, and the collar fic sequel is in the works, so stay tuned! thank you guys for continuing to read my fics, and if this chapter is one you can't bring yourself to read, please know that i understand completely. one silly little fic is not worth hurting yourself to read it.
> 
> love you guys! be kind to the people around you, you never know when they might be gone. <3

“cheryl? hey, can you hear me?” 

 

cheryl groans loudly at the pounding headache behind her eyes, but she feels gentle fingers massaging at the base of her skull, and she finds herself sinking into the touch, a soft hum escaping her before the gentle sound of chuckling hits her ears.

 

“glad to have you back with us…” toni’s voice rasps, and cheryl slowly blinks her eyes open and gazes up into chocolate brown eyes that look down at her with nothing but relief. 

 

the feeling of a soft mattress beneath her body has cheryl sighing in content as she sinks further into her own bed with a smile, her eyes fluttering closed as toni continues massaging her scalp in gentle circles that have her almost drifting off to sleep again before toni’s voice brings her back to consciousness.

 

“are you okay?” toni asks, voice laced with concern, and cheryl simply hums and nods against her before she opens her eyes and lets out a shaky sigh, looking up to see toni smiling down at her with this look in her eyes that cheryl can’t explain.

 

“feeling better?” cheryl croaks out. toni purses her lips before she nods, and she inhales sharply and goes to move her fingers, but cheryl whines loudly in protest, causing toni to chuckle before she returns to brushing her fingers through cheryl’s hair. 

 

it’s quiet for a few moments, cheryl simply basking in the feeling of toni’s fingers being so gentle with her before the _culebra_ girl adjusts cheryl’s head in her lap lightly and lets out a shaky sigh of her own, clearing at war with the words she wants to say before finally:

 

“i’ve…i’ve never done this before. i’m not used to…to being gentle with people, and having people be gentle with me.” toni whispers. 

 

her words cause cheryl’s eyes to snap open with concern, a frown taking over her features as she looks up at toni to see her blinking back tears, this shaky smile causing her lips to quiver before she bites down on her bottom lip anxiously.

 

“you’re always so soft and careful when you touch me…i haven’t had that in twenty years. it’s just so…different. not unwelcome at all, but…different. i just want to do the same for you, i’m t-trying-.”

 

“you’re doing amazing, toni. i promise.” cheryl reassures her, voice slightly strained from lack of use as she smiles and sinks even further into toni’s touch, causing the girl to smile widely as one hand trails down cheryl’s arm, fingers brushing over pale skin and causing goosebumps to erupt over her body as she shudders. 

 

cheryl finds herself swallowing thickly at toni’s words, at the fact that she hasn’t had someone treat her with care, with affection in almost twenty years, and more than anything, she wishes she could go back to the whyte wyrm and tear f.p jones and the rest of his vampires to pieces, but she tries to reign in her anger and focuses instead on the feeling of toni’s fingers on her body, clenching her teeth slightly as toni sighs and sinks back into the headboard. 

 

“are you tired?” cheryl asks, looking up at her from her position in toni’s lap, and when the girl nods slowly, cheryl smiles and reaches out to grip her hand, interlacing their fingers and relishing in the warmth despite the cold temperature of her skin.

 

“you can sleep up here, toni, it’s okay. i trust you.” she murmurs, fatigue taking her over as well, but her words containing nothing but truth, and toni looks down at her with wide eyes in surprise, her fingers stilling in cheryl’s hair as she chews on her bottom lip with hesitation.

 

“cheryl, i…i don’t know-.”

 

“you don’t have to do anything you’re uncomfortable with. i just thought it might be better to sleep on a nicer mattress than the one downstairs…” cheryl says hurriedly, her heart racing at the realization of what she’s just asked toni to do, but once again, like she has so many times since cheryl met her, toni surprises her, smiles and licks her lips before she nods slowly, adjusting herself against the headboard once more as she does.

 

“o-okay. i’ll stay…” she murmurs, clearing her throat as cheryl moves off her lap with an exhausted groan to collapse onto the pillow beside her. she can feel herself already drifting off to sleep, and some part of her brain is telling her that she should get up and maybe move to the couch and give toni the bed, but she’s so tired, two weeks of no sleep finally catching up with her…

 

she blinks blearily, notices the way toni’s relaxing into the bed with a soft sigh before her eyes slowly begin to flutter closed with fatigue as well, and cheryl smiles and finds herself reaching down to interlace the fingers of her left hand with toni’s right, a smile slowly lighting up the girl’s face as well, and it’s the last thing cheryl sees before she drifts off into unconsciousness.

 

a state of unconsciousness that, unfortunately, doesn’t last long.

 

the sound of soft whimpering and gentle cries pulls cheryl out of her sleep viciously, her eyes blinking open in surprise as she suddenly feels a strong pressure grip her hand-

 

she turns to see toni tossing and turning, her brow furrowed and sweat dripping down the side of her face as tears fall from the corners of her eyes, and cheryl knows immediately what’s going on.

 

“toni…toni, wake up!” cheryl sits up quickly and immediately reaches out to shake her, to pull her out of the nightmare she’s very clearly having, and toni’s eyes flutter open, inhaling sharply with a shuddering gasp before she whines with a choked out sob-

 

toni’s eyes flash golden, and cold fingers wrap around cheryl’s throat before she’s being thrown onto her back, toni’s weight crashing over her hips as a loud growl emanates from her.

 

but before cheryl even has time to tap into her magic to throw toni off her, the girl looks down at her with wide eyes filled with nothing but horror as they slowly turn back to brown, cheryl’s heart thundering in her ribcage as the hand around her throat loosens and toni sits down on top of her hips with a soft gasp of complete and utter terror.

 

she whimpers, her bottom lip trembling as tears immediately well in her eyes, and cheryl feels like she should be scared, should be concerned that toni was likely seconds away from ripping her apart, but all she can find it in herself to do is push herself up on shaking arms before she’s rubbing toni’s arms soothingly in an attempt to calm her down and reassure her.

 

“hey! hey, it’s okay! it’s me, it’s cheryl, you’re safe!” cheryl whispers shakily, reaching up with one trembling hand to brush the hair matted to toni’s sweat soaked forehead back as the girl looks at her with bright brown eyes shining with tears and panic and fear-

 

“ch-cheryl…i’m sorry, i’m so, s-so sorry-.” 

 

“shh, it’s okay…you didn’t hurt me, toni, i promise.” cheryl murmurs, gripping toni’s wrist and tugging her down into her embrace, and toni simply collapses into her arms with a choked out sob before she’s drawing in these shuddering gasps that leave cheryl heartbroken at the sound of them, the red haired girl swallowing the lump in her throat and blinking back her own tears as she rubs her hand up and down toni’s back soothingly.

 

it’s quiet for a few moments before toni pulls back, sniffling slightly and looking at cheryl in anguish as the supreme lifts her hand up to brush away toni’s tears with her thumb softly, a gentle smile taking over her features as she does.

 

“see? you’re safe…it was just a nightmare.” cheryl whispers, her smile widening when toni purses her lips and nods once in acknowledgement.

 

“i…i’ve had them every night since you saved me. i’m not used to having someone with me when i have them, but i s-still shouldn’t have attacked you-.”

 

“i’m okay, toni. you didn’t hurt me, no harm, no foul. i just wanna make sure you’re okay.” cheryl says softly, watching the _culebra_ girl with concern over the fact that she's had these nightmares ever since they rescued her. why didn't cheryl ever feel her discomfort? god, she feels horrible...toni's been here for almost a month now, suffering from those nightmares all on her own...

 

toni's brown eyes roam over cheryl’s face with wonder, her lip quivering before they drop open to say something-

 

toni suddenly looks down at their interlaced fingers before her eyes move to her legs draped over cheryl’s lap, knees on either side of her body, straddling her, and cheryl sees how toni’s cheeks flush red before she’s clearing her throat and pushing herself up and off cheryl, the supreme trying hard not to focus on how much she misses the weight of toni’s body on her own.

 

“sorry…got carried away-.”

 

“it’s okay. i-.”

 

anything else cheryl was about to say is interrupted by the orange rays that filter in through the curtains of the window as a hard breeze blows them outwards, illuminating the room with light, and cheryl sees toni wince before she hisses loudly and suddenly jumps off the bed at lightning speed, rushing over to the corner of the room that’s still encased in shadows as she examines the burn on her arm with a sigh.

 

“shit!” cheryl jumps off the bed, rushes straight towards the windows and immediately draws the curtains shut, blocking out any and all rays of sunshine as toni looks up at her with tears of pain welling in her eyes.

 

“are you okay? god, i’m so sorry, toni-.”

 

“i’m f-fine. it’ll heal. thank you…for closing the curtains.” toni says in a small voice, swallowing thickly as cheryl rushes over to her side and immediately lifts her arm into her hands to examine the burn above her elbow, watching in awe as it slowly begins to heal and become smooth, caramel colored skin once more. 

 

“astounding…” cheryl breathes, smiling as toni hums at the feeling of cheryl’s fingers brushing over her skin, this small smile lighting up her face as she looks up at cheryl with a soft chuckle.

 

“i’ll lose this if you strip me of my vampirism…” she murmurs. cheryl purses her lips before she sighs shakily and shakes her head.

 

“not ‘if’. ‘when’, toni. whether it takes a few weeks or a few months, i’m going to find a way.” cheryl whispers, her voice cracking slightly with emotion as toni’s smooth skin reappears once more, any traces of a burn erased. toni hums once again before she suddenly exhales shakily, her nails digging into cheryl’s bicep slightly as cheryl looks up at her in surprise.

 

“last time…last time this happened…we almost kissed.” toni croaks out, swallowing thickly, and cheryl feels her heart _stop._

 

cheryl’s brain completely short-circuits, unable to process the words toni has just said, but even if her brain was functioning at normal levels right now, toni doesn’t give her the chance to really think about it.

 

because her hand on cheryl’s arm is moving up to cup her cheek, her thumb brushing over the cheekbone before she’s leaning up on the tips of her toes, eyes fluttering closed as cheryl swallows the lump in her throat quickly and leans in to close that gap between them that she’s been so desperate to close for so long-

 

“miss blossom?! toni isn’t in the basement!” 

 

the door bursts open, and cheryl and toni jump apart immediately, cheryl’s heart clenching as she turns her head so fast, her neck flares with pain before it disappears, her eyes landing on veronica lodge and betty cooper as they look around the room wildly before their eyes land on cheryl and toni in the corner of her room. 

 

“i-oh…” betty’s eyes widen and her cheeks flush red as veronica crosses her arms over her chest with the most gigantic smirk on her face, and cheryl clears her throat and turns to the girls as toni sheepishly stands behind her, hiding a smile.

 

_why, oh why, we were so close, so goddamn close…_

 

“sorry, we…veronica couldn’t feel toni’s emotions in the basement when we walked past it and she got worried that something happened to her-.”

 

“she’s fine, we’re…we’re fine. it’s early, why are you girls awake?” cheryl croaks out, watching in despair over their interruption, trying her hardest not to be mad right now as veronica and betty simply shrug. 

 

“excited for today, i guess! when do classes start?” betty asks with a wide smile, trying to play oblivious, but cheryl can read the excited energy coming off her, and cheryl returns her smile, ignoring the clear look of amusement on veronica’s face as she looks back and forth between toni and cheryl, clearly observing the closeness between them.

 

“breakfast first. go wake the other girls, i’ll be down in a moment.” veronica and betty both nod as betty grips veronica’s hand and leads her out of the room, and cheryl exhales shakily, her heart still racing as she looks down at toni with a sigh.

 

“always getting interrupted…” she mumbles, smiling slightly at the way toni chuckles under her breath before she’s gripping cheryl’s hand and squeezing it in her own.

 

“go have breakfast with the girls…i’ll stay up here until you start teaching, look through your book of shadows, if that’s okay?” 

 

cheryl hesitates.

 

and it’s not because she minds toni looking through her most sacred and protected book of magic, no…it’s for one reason, and one reason only.

 

she glances over at the curtains where the sunlight is streaming through, curtains that toni could easily pull back and allow the sunlight to hit her, to burn her alive, to take her life, to take her away from _cheryl_ -

 

“i won’t do it, cher…i promise. you were right…” toni croaks out, reaching out and squeezing cheryl’s other hand in her own, causing the supreme to turn her attention back to the girl before her as she sniffs once and smiles, looking up at cheryl with this look the witch can’t explain…

 

“about what?” cheryl asks softly, and toni’s smile only widens as she exhales shakily with a low chuckle.

 

“i can move past my pain. it doesn’t define me, the twenty years i spent captive…it’s not who i am. and if i can focus on…on the _good…_ then i’ll be okay.” toni says hoarsely, and cheryl feels her heart just _melt_ at toni’s words.

 

these two weeks _have_ helped her, have opened her eyes to just how much she was capable of, god, cheryl’s never been more thankful than this moment right now…

 

“i’ll need your help, though, cheryl. i…i c-can’t do this on my own-.”

 

“you don’t have to. ever, toni. i’ll be here every step of the way. all i want to do is help, however i can.” cheryl whispers, gripping both of toni’s hands in her own and squeezing them tightly before toni shakes her head and pushes cheryl towards the door lightly with a smile.

 

“go, eat breakfast. call me when you start teaching.” she says, her smile turning into a grin as cheryl laughs lightly and nods once, already missing the warmth from toni’s cold fingers the second they slide out of her grip.

 

“okay…and toni?” cheryl pauses at the doorway, hesitation pounding through her as she chews on her bottom lip, and toni reaches for the bedside table to grab cheryl’s book of shadows before she looks up at cheryl with a frown.

 

“yeah?”

 

cheryl exhales deeply, trying to let go of the nerves that pound through her before she utters her next words, because they’re probably the truest ones she’s ever spoken.

 

“i'm sorry...that we got interrupted again. hopefully next time...we won't.” 

 

and with her cheeks burning brighter than the hair on her head, cheryl scurries out of the doorway, closing it shut behind her, but not before she hears a light chuckle and the sound of toni’s voice say:

 

“we won’t, cher…i promise, too.” 

 

\---------------

 

“so…you and toni…”

 

cheryl bites back the loudest groan at the sound of veronica’s voice, the way the young girl grins widely before she glances over at toni and betty in the corner of the dining room where all the girls are working on their magic, toni watching in awe as betty makes the flower in her hands glow brightly with a warm smile.

 

“veronica…stay focused, please.” cheryl reprimands, forcing herself to do the same as veronica turns back to the set of candles in front of her with a frown of concentration that only lasts half a second before she’s looking back at cheryl smugly.

 

“i’m just saying. you two are getting closer…and i can feel some things from the both of you that i haven’t felt before.” she hums, staring at the candle and willing it to light on fire, and the candle flickers weakly before it dies out, veronica sighing in frustration as cheryl bites down on her bottom lip and looks at her with hesitation.

 

they should be focusing, it doesn’t matter what veronica’s feeling…however...

 

“what…uh, what things are you feeling?” she asks sheepishly before she can stop herself. veronica’s grin widens insurmountably, and she leans back in her chair and glances towards betty and toni, the two best friends sharing a look that has cheryl frowning at the both of them in confusion before cheryl watches betty lean in closer to toni to talk to her in a hushed tone.

 

cheryl’s about to ask these two troublemakers what they’re up to when veronica suddenly pipes up with an enthusiastic voice that has cheryl cocking an eyebrow in amusement.

 

“oh, you know, nothing big…your heart just kind of starts racing, and it’s like every good emotion you’ve ever felt floods you every time you see her, makes you happier than i’ve ever felt you being.” veronica says simply, fiddling with the candlestick before she raises an eyebrow and watches cheryl, who stares back at her in nothing but shock.

 

every good emotion? they’ve been far and few in between unfortunately in her life, but she’s been the happiest she ever thought she could be in the last four years, being the supreme and being a teacher, a mentor to these girls brought that out in her, how is it possible for her to be even _happier?_

 

“i…that’s not-.”

 

“miss blossom, i _feel_ it every time you go down to that basement to see her, and this morning? when i walked into your room, the happiness i felt coming off you, off the _both_ of you…i’ve never felt anything like it before, not even with _my_ parents, who have like...the most insane connection i've ever seen.” veronica breathes, this look of awe in her eyes as she leans in closer and closer to her supreme with each word, the excitement coming off her in energetic waves that have cheryl shivering despite herself as she glances back at betty and toni to see the _culebra_ girl staring back at her with an equal look that cheryl can’t explain. 

 

“veronica, it’s…complicated.” cheryl sighs, shaking her head and gripping the candlestick to pull it closer to veronica, trying desperately to get her to focus on setting the wicks on fire, but veronica crosses her arms over her chest with a roll of her eyes and a scoff.

 

“no it isn’t! you like her, miss blossom! you like her _a lot._ and she likes you a lot, too! and you know you can trust me when i say that because i’m an empath! i can _feel_ it!” 

 

cheryl inhales sharply, her gaze falling on the candles, one of which, she lights on her own with barely any effort, veronica huffing in frustration over it as cheryl smiles at her once before watching the flames flicker with a frown. 

 

“i…we’ll see, veronica. i don’t know what’s going to happen, and i don’t know what’s going on between us, but you should be focusing on _this-._ ”

 

“it can wait! this is more important!” veronica says sharply, waving her hand nonchalantly as cheryl chuckles and looks at her in amusement.

 

“it is, huh? this is training for you to potentially become the next supreme, veronica-."

 

“yes, i know that! but, miss blossom…” veronica reaches out, gripping cheryl’s hand in her own with a deep sigh as she looks up at the supreme with nothing but adoration shining in her eyes.

 

“you’ve been our teacher for four years now, you’ve helped build us up to supreme levels of power, and even though we’re not even remotely there yet, you keep trying! and we can’t thank you enough for being so…so goddamn patient with us, but we notice things, miss blossom…we notice how alone you are. i’ve known you for four years and i’ve never seen you as happy as you are when toni’s around. i’ve never felt the feelings coming off you when you’re with her before, and miss blossom…you _deserve to be happy._ ” 

 

veronica’s voice is filled with so much determination and passion, and cheryl finds herself immediately tearing up before she can stop herself, her teeth sinking down into her bottom lip to stop her from completely breaking down.

 

what did she do, to deserve these girls? these girls who were like younger sisters to her, not just a coven…a sisterhood, a family, something so special, so pure…

 

and yes, maybe her bond with toni is different, but her bond with these girls…

 

“i…thank you, veronica. i appreciate that a lot.” cheryl whispers, her eyes moving over to betty and toni once more to see the brown haired girl watching her with tears in her own eyes, this shaky smile taking over her face that as cheryl’s heart aching with affection-

 

“god…if you could feel what i’m feeling from her right now…” veronica breathes, cheryl turning to look at her in surprise to see a single tear fall down her cheek, her eyes closed and the smile on her face astounding before her eyelashes flutter open, brown eyes boring into equally dark ones with nothing but happiness.

 

“i’ve never felt this before, miss blossom. i don’t know…the bond between you two is something i can’t explain.” veronica says softly, looking behind cheryl at toni herself with a knowing smile that has cheryl shuddering before she grips the candlestick and pulls it close.

 

she wants to talk to veronica about this, because god, she has no idea what she’s doing with toni, what these feelings are, what _anything_ is when it comes to that girl-

 

“miss blossom, talk to me…please, tell me what you’re feeling.” veronica asks, squeezing her hand tightly, and cheryl looks up at her with a shaky sigh before she licks her lips and smiles.

 

she hasn’t had this before…girls, _friends_ to talk to about these kinds of things. she’s never had these feelings before, she was confined to these four walls for seventeen years until her mother died, until she became supreme, the idea of talking to veronica about…god, _whatever_ it is that she’s feeling for toni…

 

“i…i don’t know how to describe it either, ronnie. i don’t know what i feel for her, i just know that the bond we have is something i’ve never had with anyone else before. and i’m…i’m _scared._ ” 

 

the realization kind of hits her out of nowhere, but once she says it, cheryl finds herself digging her nails into the palms of her hands, a soft whimper escaping her as veronica inhales sharply and reaches out to grip cheryl’s hands on top of the table in her own.

 

“you shouldn’t be, miss blossom. i know things are complicated, and maybe i don’t know the full story, but i think you should go for it. what do you have to lose?” veronica murmurs, and when cheryl looks up at her, the answer leaves her before she can stop herself.

 

“everything.” she whispers back. veronica frowns at that, and cheryl finds herself looking back at toni, who simply gives betty a soft smile before she points down at the flower in her hands, smiling widely as it lights up brightly with betty looking over at veronica and cheryl with an equally warm smile.

 

“isn’t it worth the risk?” veronica asks.

 

cheryl finds herself unable to reply, but the answer is ringing true and clear in her mind.

 

_yes…yes, it’s worth it._

 

\--------------

 

it’s a rare occasion, that cheryl allows herself to do this.

 

she swirls the brown liquid in the glass in her hands, gazing down at it with a frown before she lifts it to take a small sip, welcoming the burn of the whiskey down her throat. she gazes up at the moonlight that filters in through the open curtains of her window, a soft sigh escaping her despite herself as she ponders veronica’s words from earlier this afternoon, while also contemplating what exactly toni could be doing right now.

 

she had told toni this afternoon that she was welcome to roam the house while she was fully fed, and cheryl had retired to her room to take a shower, was kind of hoping she might find toni waiting for her here, but five minutes have passed since she finished her shower and toni isn’t here.

 

she doesn’t want to suffocate toni by spending every waking moment with her, especially considering she’s already been doing that for the last two weeks. she knows toni needs a bit of space, and after what veronica told her this afternoon, so does cheryl.

 

she has no idea how to begin to wrap her mind around everything veronica said to her. she knows she has feelings for toni, she knows that…but to actually acknowledge it, to come to terms with it…

 

her mother contained her in this home for seventeen years, she’s…she’s never had feelings for _anyone_ , has never known another person in this way except for the girls she teaches, but even they don’t know some of the things that cheryl has divulged to toni in the last two weeks…

 

this is something so new, something so different to anything she’s ever had. once she was free from her mother, once she became the supreme, her whole life became fixing her mother’s mistakes and honing her powers, as well as the girls who were part of her academy, she’s never focused on the idea or the possibility of liking someone in this way. 

 

but she does…she _does_ like toni in that way, she knows veronica isn’t wrong, her feelings about the _culebra_ girl…they’re real.

 

but how can she possibly act on them when there’s so much else going on? when she’s supposed to be focusing on curing toni, not courting her? when this girl is relying on her to cure her of something she never wanted in the first place, like some sick disease that’s taken control of her? cheryl can’t afford to be distracted, she can’t-

 

pain. panic. complete and utter fear and terror.

 

the energy of it hits her out of nowhere, and cheryl drops the glass of whiskey with a gasp, unable to contain it as her heart _aches_ with the energy she’s feeling right now-

 

_toni._

 

cheryl knows it’s her. she knows it is. and she ignores the whiskey staining her carpet and dashes towards the door, following the energy to wherever toni is, horror gripping her tighter when she realizes toni’s energy is carrying upstairs towards the attic-

 

_oh god…oh god, please, please-_

 

cheryl taps into her own energy and uses her powers to teleport herself up the stairs into the attic, where she finds toni curled up against the door to the left of the one that leads into the attic.

 

the door to the dark room.

 

the dark room where her mother turned toni's life into her worst nightmare.

 

“toni!” cheryl runs straight for her, her heart clenching at the sight of the slightly open door, and toni looks up at cheryl with tears streaming down her cheeks and her whole body trembling, these soft whimpers of panic escaping her-

 

“shh, shh! it’s okay!” cheryl collapses down beside her, hesitates in reaching out to grab her, but toni chokes on a sob and inches away from her, and cheryl immediately drops her hands to her sides uselessly, tries to ignore the pain in her heart over toni’s rejection because _it’s not about her and she knows it._

 

“toni…toni, it’s me, it’s cheryl…” the red haired girl whispers, wiping away the tears that fall down her own cheeks at the sight of toni so _distraught_ , and toni sniffs once and raises her head, her bottom lip trembling and her eyes containing so much goddamn pain…

 

“ch-cheryl…cheryl, i-.”

 

“shh, it’s okay, i know…i haven’t touched this room since my mother died, but i should’ve gotten rid of it, i’m so sorry, toni…” cheryl croaks out. toni looks towards the door, wincing once, and cheryl inhales sharply and shakes her head, reaching out with her hand hovering over toni’s elbow.

 

“toni, can…can i touch you?” cheryl breathes, watching with concern as toni purses her lips and whimpers once before she nods slowly.

 

cheryl’s hand falls down on top of toni’s elbow, and the girl makes a low whine in the back of her throat before she collapses sideways into cheryl’s arms with a choked out sob.

 

cheryl wraps her arms around the petite girl, one hand cradling her head as it collapses onto cheryl’s chest, her fingers curling into cheryl’s nightgown, gripping it tightly as she cries and cries and cries.

 

“i thought i could h-handle it, i thought if i c-came b-back here, it w-would h-help me m-move on, b-but i’m s-scared-.”

 

“shh, don’t be…don’t be, toni, she’s dead, okay? she’s gone, we’re both safe from her now, i promise.” cheryl says hoarsely, unable to stop her voice from shaking, unable to stop the tears from falling as she holds toni close and tries her best to comfort her. 

 

her life was ruined inside that room, god, why didn’t cheryl get rid of it? why…

 

“let me get you away from this room, toni…please, let me get you far away from this room.” cheryl whispers against the skin of toni’s hairline, and toni clutches her tighter and simply nods once.

 

and with that, cheryl hooks one arm under toni’s knees and curls the other around the middle of her back, lifting her up into her arms with a grunt, trying not to focus on how goddamn _light_ toni is in her arms and instead focusing her powers once again to teleport them down to her room as quickly as possible. 

 

toni doesn’t even seem to notice it, but her grip does tighten on cheryl the second she opens her eyes and notices they’re now nowhere near the attic, are instead in cheryl’s room, with it’s red colored walls and red sheets and king sized bed-

 

cheryl collapses down onto her bed with a sigh with toni still in her arms, rocking her back and forth as toni continues to cry into her chest in despair. 

 

“you’re safe, toni…she’s gone, she’s dead, i promise.” cheryl whispers, closing her eyes and letting her tears fall as her cheek comes to rest against toni’s forehead, the girl curling into her further as she sniffs once and lets out a small whimper.

 

“h-how? how did sh-she d-die?” toni asks in a small voice after a few moments of silence.

 

cheryl’s heart clenches tightly, the painful memories immediately filling her mind, but not of her mother’s death…of the seventeen years she spent under her torture, the _relief_ that had flooded her when she learned her mother was gone, never able to hurt her again…

 

“my mother…she used to hurt me, toni. really hurt me…but as i grew older and i started to come into my powers more, she got weaker. i was destined to become supreme from the moment i was born, and my mother _hated_ me for it. the other witches on the council came over one day, and demanded my mother to put me through the test of the seven wonders, because they could feel the power shifting. my mother refused, and the witches’ council made an executive decision to put me through it without the supreme’s consent, something that is considered taboo.” cheryl says in a low voice, part of her so hesitant to tell her story, but part of her knowing that this is what toni needs to distract her from the pain, but also to reassure her.

 

because for her to hear that her mother is dead, that her mother is gone…it’ll help her heal.

 

“once a new supreme rises, the old one dies. so my mother watched on in despair as i passed the seven wonders with flying colors, and in the days that followed…she tried to kill me.” 

 

toni immediately stiffens in her arms, a soft gasp escaping her as she suddenly pulls back and looks up at cheryl in complete and utter shock, and cheryl simply offers her a small smile as she purses her lips to stop herself from crying.

 

“she smothered me with a pillow in my sleep, but my powers were too strong for her…it wasn’t my time to die, it was my time to rise. she was thrown back, cowered in the corner, and for the first time in my life…i felt _strong._ i watched her cry, and i watched her beg me not to take her powers from her, and i felt not an ounce of remorse, toni. she continued to wither away and within a week…she was gone. died in her sleep…i only became aware of it when i woke up one morning and the pain in my back, a pain i’d suffered through for eight years after my mother broke it in a fit of rage, was gone. completely and utterly gone.” 

 

the memory hits her so suddenly, and the feelings of fear that flare up are something she can't control.

 

_"mommy, stop! please, i'm s-sorry, i d-didn't mean to interrupt-."_

 

_"how many times have i told you, you insolent child, not to come into this room when i'm performing magic!? you will **never** possess this power, cheryl, not as long as i draw breath!"_

 

_a loud cracking sound. and then pain. nothing but immeasurable, insurmountable waves of pain flooding her entire body, making her scream, scream so loudly she feels her voice box tear as the sound of her mother's laughter echoes loudly above it-_

 

she enjoyed it. she enjoyed watching cheryl writhe on the ground in agony, her back aching and her legs trembling, unable to move from the pain of it all...nine years old with a broken back, screaming for her mother to stop...

 

toni’s eyes flicker golden, her teeth bared in what cheryl thinks is anger, but the moment is gone too quickly for cheryl to process it, her nails digging into toni’s thighs slightly as she closes her eyes and simply shakes her head once, the hesitation only there for a moment before it fades.

 

she needs to say this.

 

“that’s what i was reliving in hell when i completed _descensum_ during my test in the seven wonders. the day my mother broke my back, over and over again, the pain i felt…i was only gone for forty five minutes but it felt like eighteen lifetimes, toni.” cheryl croaks out. 

 

toni suddenly shifts in cheryl’s lap until her knees are resting on either side of cheryl’s thighs, her hands gripping cheryl’s shoulders as the red haired girl grips her waist tightly to steady her, and it’s a position they’ve found themselves in so many times before when toni has fed, but this time…this time is different.

 

there’s so much pain filtering through the both of them, cheryl feeding off toni’s energy and trying to mask her own, but after divulging all that information…

 

“b-but she’s g-gone, right? she c-can’t hurt us anymore…” toni breathes, her nails digging into cheryl’s shoulders, and the supreme simply rubs her hands up and down toni’s sides, over the fabric of her sleeveless pajama shirt as she smiles and nods slowly.

 

“yes, toni. she’s gone, she can’t hurt us ever again.” cheryl whispers. toni swallows thickly, hiccupping slightly at the tears still falling down her cheeks before she sniffs once and bites down on her bottom lip, shaking her head as she chokes on a whimper.

 

“she’s gone…but f.p isn’t.” toni whispers back with nothing but horror. cheryl’s blood runs cold, her heart pounding in her chest, and she has no comeback, nothing to reassure toni because she’s _right_ , f.p is still out there, but before she can attempt to say anything, toni speaks up once more, and it’s like her next words take everything in her to say, her face turning slightly pale as she looks up at cheryl with nothing but hesitation shining in her eyes.

 

“the _culebras…_ they used me as an entertainer to draw human tourists to the bar. used me as a main attraction so they could feed on…on all those innocent people, but ch-cheryl…that’s not all they did to me.” toni squeaks out, her voice shaking so badly, and cheryl almost wants to tell her that she doesn’t have to say anything, but toni swallows loudly once again before she finally gets the words out.

 

“it was torture…t-twenty years of torture, of p-pain, i…i don’t want to be th-this way anymore, ch-cheryl-.”

 

“shh…shh, i’m here...” cheryl can barely choke the words out, the pain she feels for toni eclipsing her verbal capabilities, and toni lets out a low whine before she licks her lips and shakes her head, ducking her gaze, incapable of staring cheryl in the eyes…

 

“i…i c-can’t talk about it, it’s too m-much…” toni croaks out, twisting her fingers nervously into cheryl's nightgown, and with that, cheryl comes to an incredibly quick conclusion.

 

that even though this one power has been the one that always eludes her…she’ll do everything in her power to access it right now, to help toni so she doesn’t have to talk about it…but so that cheryl can _see_ it, can help herself better understand what toni went through...

 

“toni…i can see. i can use my powers…i can use them to see what happened so you don’t have to say it. so you don’t have to relive it…but only if you want me to.” cheryl says softly, offering her a reassuring smile as she continues brushing her hands up and down toni’s sides.

 

“i w-want you to…but it’s a lot, ch-cheryl…” toni sobs, shaking her head before cheryl ducks a finger under her chin to lift her gaze.

 

“if it helps me understand, toni, then i’ll do it. for _you._ ” cheryl whispers. toni’s lips quiver with a small smile, and she purses her lips, a few moments passing before she nods once.

 

cheryl exhales shakily and reaches both her hands up to grip toni’s hands in her face, her thumbs brushing over toni’s cheeks as she closes her eyes and tries to access her divination, and toni relaxes into her touch and closes her own eyes, the both of them breathing deeply until toni’s head suddenly sinks forward, her forehead resting against cheryl’s as she grips her wrists, fingers curling over them…

 

the skin to skin connection, the intimacy of it, the way cheryl’s heart is racing, it throws her straight into it.

 

she feels the jolt, the strange sensation of a hook curling into her ribs and pulling her up, the pounding in the back of her brain before-

 

_she’s in a dark room, unable to think or breathe or feel or see…but one thing that registers…_

 

_a small figure curled up against the wall with pink highlights in her brown hair...tanned skin glowing beneath the one source of light above her, a lightbulb swaying as she whimpers-_

 

_it's toni…oh god, it's toni...curled up in the corner of this strange dungeon like area, rocking back and forth as she cries and cries and cries, tears falling down her cheeks and her eyes flashing golden as she winces and screams in pain, clutching her mouth, her teeth…the canines breaking through the gums as she claws at her mouth in agony before the door slams open, and toni whimpers as she pulls her hands away from her mouth and tugs on what looks like chains…chains wrapped around her wrists, preventing her from moving anywhere at all…_

 

_“still struggling to adapt, huh? don’t worry, kid…you’ll get used to it.”_

 

_the man’s voice is gruff, but cheryl knows who it belongs to the second she hears it despite only hearing him speak one sentence all those weeks ago at the whyte wyrm. f.p jones walks through the door carrying what looks like a small glass filled with blood in his hands, this sinister smile on his face as his eyes flash golden once more, and the door swings shut behind him, darkness taking over the room once more as he makes his way over to toni slowly, each step made with purpose, toni cowering further and further with each step he takes towards her-_

 

_“drink up…you’re probably thirsty as hell.” f.p kneels in front of her and holds out the small glass with this reassuring smile, this charm about him that cheryl thinks any other girl would instantly fall for._

 

_but toni doesn’t._

 

_because she slaps the glass from his hand, watches it fly across the room and slam to the ground, spilling blood everywhere before she’s spitting right into his face, her face contorted into complete and utter defiance and bravery, a completely different toni to the one cheryl knows...fragile, broken, scared beyond belief..._

 

_and now...now she knows why._

 

_cheryl finds herself screaming despite the fact that she can’t be heard. because this isn’t her revisiting the past to change it, because there’s nothing she **can** change. this is a memory._

 

_this has already happened._

 

_f.p growls before he grabs a fistful of toni’s hair and drags her upwards, and cheryl’s screams begin to mingle with toni’s own, the girl flailing as he rips her away from the wall as far as her chains will drag her, throwing her down on top of a table against the wall back first-_

 

_cheryl can’t move, she’s rooted to the spot, and she’s watching with nothing but despair and anguish as f.p claps a hand over toni’s mouth to stop her from screaming, his fangs bared and his eyes golden as he glares down at her with nothing but hatred._

 

_“you listen to me, and you listen good! either way, antoinette, you’re officially **mine** until the day i get bored of you and rip that heart of yours out of your pretty little chest! so you have a choice, and you can make it right here, right now! you can make the rest of your life a goddamn living hell, or you can make it less of one by obeying my orders! either way, you’re fucked, kid, but it doesn’t have to be as bad as it **can** be. your choice!” f.p hisses, his body laying flat against toni’s, pinning her to the hard wood as he slowly moves his hand away from her mouth-_

 

_“fuck you!” toni growls through bared teeth, spitting once again into his face, and f.p laughs loudly before he’s moving up off her and gripping her by her hair once more, spinning her around and slamming her down onto the table chest first-_

 

_“STOP! STOP, PLEASE, DON’T HURT HER!”_

 

_cheryl screams, and screams, and screams…but it’s a memory, and there’s nothing she can do._

 

_it’s a memory…_

 

_“welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, antoinette. if you think this is bad, if you think **i’m** bad…wait until the other boys get in.” f.p grunts as one hand pins toni to the table by the small of her back while the other reaches for the belt of his pants, pulling it off before he’s grabbing the waistband of toni’s jeans to pull them down, toni’s screams for help bouncing off the walls-_

 

_no, no, she doesn’t want to see this, this was a mistake, no, no, get out, get out, GET OUT-_

 

“TONI!”

 

nails dig into her wrists tightly, painfully, and cheryl’s eyes snap open with a loud gasp before chocolate brown ones are staring into her own with concern, and cheryl’s heart is racing so hard, sweat dripping from her brow as she grips onto toni’s face like a lifeline-

 

“oh god! oh god, t-toni-.” 

 

cheryl breaks down, unable to stop herself, her sobs wracking her chest as she pulls toni into her arms and hugs her close, gripping any part of her she can as gently as possible as the memory she just relived of toni’s keeps replaying in her mind over and over again…

 

twenty years…they did that to her for twenty years, oh god, please, it can’t be, it can’t _be-_

 

they’re both just crying, holding each other tightly, toni’s face buried into cheryl’s shoulder as cheryl tries to think of something, god, _anything_ , to make this situation better, but there’s nothing she can do or say.

 

nothing can change what happened to her.

 

god, cheryl wants to rip f.p jones apart, rip every single one of those _culebras_ in that god awful bar to pieces, to shreds, tear them apart, _they hurt her for twenty years-_

 

“i’m h-here…i’m h-here, they’re never g-going to touch you again, toni, i s-swear to you on my g-goddamn _life_ , do you hear me? i’ll d-die before i let anything h-happen to you again...” cheryl stutters out in a whisper with nothing but determination, because she will. she will spend the rest of her goddamn life protecting toni, without hesitation. 

 

and toni clings to her tighter, drawing in these shallow breaths that have cheryl holding her closer, whispering nonsensical words into her ear as she does.

 

cheryl can’t rid the memory from her mind, god, the thought of…of all those men using toni night after night after night, how is she still alive, everything…everything makes sense now, and god, cheryl doesn’t blame her anymore, she’d want to die, too-

 

cheryl remembers the night they rescued her, remembers seeing toni sway on that stage with barely any energy in her, bruises littering her skin that must’ve been fresh, only minutes old and severe if her healing powers didn’t kick in to remove them, the lack of blood stopping it as well, and it just makes her more enraged, because the thought of toni barely being able to defend herself, weak from the beatings they must’ve given her, barely coherent from the lack of blood while those…those _monsters_ did that to her, fuck-

 

cheryl moves them up to the pillows of her bed, lays down as slowly and as gently as possible with toni still wrapped in her embrace, the girl’s head coming to rest upon her chest as cheryl runs her fingers through her hair and rests her lips on toni’s brow, and it’s intimate, but it’s also cautious and careful, cheryl refusing to step over a line after what she just witnessed.

 

when toni said she wasn’t used to having someone be gentle with her…dear god, her mother did this to toni, it’s all her mother’s fault…

 

cheryl has no goddamn fucking clue how much time passes. the hours stretch on, with toni crying into cheryl’s chest with no restriction, and cheryl cries with her, eventually calms down and simply lets her do so without restraint, gives her this time, however fucking long it takes, to acknowledge her pain so she can move on from it, because that’s what she promised toni she’d help her do.

 

but twenty years of…of _that…_ god, it hurts, it hurts to even think about it…

 

how many days? how many nights did toni suffer over and over again? how many hours were spent with those men touching her without her consent? hurting her…raping her…

 

cheryl’s chest tightens every time she thinks about it. the pain is too much…god, no wonder veronica latched onto the idea of helping toni, the emotions she must’ve felt from her those first few nights she was here…

 

the hours stretch on, and toni’s crying eventually subsides, but the grip she has on cheryl’s nightgown doesn’t, clinging tightly as if she’s anchoring herself as her breathing begins to even out, these shaky sighs escaping her every once in a while…

 

her mother did this…her mother did this to toni…

 

“i’m sorry…i’m s-sorry, toni, it’s m-my mother’s f-fault-.” cheryl eventually chokes out, unable to hold it back much longer, her tears spilling down the sides of her face and into her hair, and to her surprise, toni pulls back, props herself up onto her hands and looks down at cheryl with nothing but grief, tears shining in her eyes as she reaches a hand up to brush away cheryl’s tears with a soft smile.

 

and then…

 

toni kisses her.

 

cheryl’s still crying as toni’s thumb brushes over her jawline, swallows thickly from the tears as toni leans down, and freezes completely when toni captures cheryl’s lips with her own. 

 

fireworks seems to be too simple a description to explain what cheryl’s feeling in this moment, because it’s mixed with anguish, mixed with sadness over everything toni has had to suffer, but the feeling of toni’s lips against her own is something she can’t explain, only knows that everything seems to center down to _this._

 

toni’s lips against hers are soft, but also insistent, cheryl’s pillowy bottom lip captured between toni’s own full ones as the fingers brushing over her chin move down to cup the side of her neck, her other hand curling into cheryl’s nightgown to pull her in closer, and cheryl finally finds it in herself to come to life and _respond._

 

she whimpers against toni’s lips before she’s deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms around toni’s waist, pulling her in impossibly closer on top of her, and toni responds just as enthusiastically, her hand cupping cheryl’s neck gripping it lightly as their tongues brush, and god, cheryl’s head is spinning so wildly right now-

 

toni’s the first to pull away, and even though cheryl doesn’t want to let this moment go, even though she wishes it could last forever, she can’t even fathom the idea of doing anything toni doesn’t want to do herself in this moment, lets toni pull back from the kiss with her eyes fluttering before they open to take in the sight before her, the warmth she feels spreading throughout her body making tingles explode up her spine that she can’t explain, but god, she can’t begin to explain any of this, everything right now is just toni, toni, _toni_ -

 

cheryl stares up at her, and despite the goddamn fucking pain that cheryl’s just witnessed a fucking _glimpse of_ , the pain that toni has had to suffer through for the last twenty years…

 

toni looks more alive than cheryl’s ever seen her.

 

the excitement shining in her eyes, the flush in her cheeks, the way her teeth sink down into her bottom lip to hide a smile-

 

“you’re so beautiful, toni.” cheryl breathes, one hand moving to brush away the stray strands of brown clinging to toni’s face away from it, tucking them behind her ear as toni stares down at her with nothing but awe. 

 

“cheryl, i…your beauty…god, not even that, just… _you_ …you make the pain i’ve suffered for the last twenty years bearable. and i can’t explain why, but the thought…the thought of being without you, of not being here with you…” toni croaks out, her fingers curling into cheryl’s nightgown nervously, fidgeting with the material as she looks up at the red haired girl with tears in her eyes, and cheryl can’t think of anything else to do but lean up, their foreheads touching before she utters her next words.

 

“can i kiss you?” cheryl breathes, and toni whimpers, because god, she hasn’t been asked that simple question of consent in twenty years, before she answers with a kiss of her own, one hand cradling cheryl’s cheek while the other moves down to interlace with her own fingers, squeezing them reassuringly as toni breathes into the kiss with her eyes fluttering closed, and this time, cheryl’s the one to pull away, their foreheads still touching as they both pant for air breathlessly.

 

“toni, i don’t…i don’t know what this is between us, but i just want you to know…i feel the same way. all i want…all i want is to make you happy…and i’m sorry, i’m so sorry for everything that’s h-happened…” cheryl whispers against her lips, smiling as toni presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, nuzzling her nose against cheryl’s affectionately. 

 

“you do…you make me happier than i’ve ever dreamed of being in the last twenty years, and i…kiss me, cheryl, please just kiss me-.” toni whimpers, and cheryl can’t even think of denying her it, kisses her slowly, softly, trails her fingers up and down toni’s spine over her shirt before they both pull away at the same time and stare at each other for a few moments with smiles clear as day on their faces.

 

a moment of affection in an otherwise heartbreaking filled night.

 

“toni, what you went through…” cheryl croaks out, shaking her head as she licks her lips and the salty taste of tears hits her tongue, but toni silences her with another small kiss before she pulls back with a shake of her head.

 

“you saw it, cheryl. it doesn’t need to be said…i just…can you hold me? please?” toni pleads in a soft voice, the tears in her eyes welling once more, and cheryl nods without hesitation, sinks back into the pillows and holds her arms open for toni with a smile. 

 

toni sinks into her touch with a shaky sigh, and cheryl is as gentle as possible as she wraps her arms around toni’s body, arms comfortingly stroking her golden skin and causing the brown haired girl to shiver before she’s burying her face into cheryl’s neck, her nose nuzzling against her pulse point.

 

a few moments of silence pass before:

 

“you smell good.” toni grunts out. cheryl finds herself laughing softly, her whole body shaking with it as she sniffs back the stray tears still clinging to her eyelashes, pressing a kiss to toni’s brow as she does. 

 

“in what way?” 

 

“all the ways. you taste good, too, i don’t know if i’ve ever told you that.” toni murmurs, pressing a kiss to her pulse point that causes cheryl to shiver against her, but she doesn’t make a move or an incentive to bite her, and it must be taking every ounce of energy and self-will toni has in her not to attack the girl holding her with her lips pressing against the one spot with more blood pumping under the skin than anywhere else in her body-

 

“thank you, cheryl.” toni whispers suddenly. cheryl tightens her hold a little, her brow furrowing in confusion.

 

“for what?” she croaks out. toni adjusts herself, her lips trailing up to cheryl’s jaw before she’s planting a kiss to the corner of the redhead’s mouth tenderly.

 

“for being _you._ ” she says simply. cheryl’s eyes flutter closed tiredly a smile lighting up her face as toni sink back down against her chest with a happy sigh, gripping her tightly as the both of them seem to drift off into a restless sleep.

 

and for the first time in twenty years, toni topaz doesn’t suffer from a single nightmare.

 

for the first time in twenty years, toni topaz, in the arms of this red haired angel who holds her so close, well and truly feels _safe._


	7. all she knows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: TALK OF ABUSE AND PAST RAPE.
> 
> be cautious reading this chapter too please, but i promise it's probably the SOFTEST shit i've ever written in my entire life. like legitimately, if you thought "meant to be" series cheryl/toni were soft, whew, wait till you read this doozy of a chapter.
> 
> it's also long af. i think over 10K? i forget, but anyway...enjoy! leave a comment letting me know what you think or you can find me on twitter at @endofdaysforme. 
> 
> oh, and i forgot...smut warning. heh.

“you absolutely _have_ to be back by sunset, veronica, do you hear me?”

 

bright brown eyes roll in the back of veronica lodge’s head as she smiles with amusement and crosses her arms over her chest, watching her teacher with a cocked eyebrow and a small shake of her head.

 

“you’ve told me about eighteen times now, miss blossom. we’ll be back before sunset, i promise. you’ve had us cooped up in the mansion for a month now, we just want to enjoy a day out on the town.”

 

cheryl’s teeth sink into her bottom lip with hesitation. she knows her girls are getting frustrated with constantly being held hostage inside the mansion, but cheryl is _terrified_ of something happening to them. the _culebras_ are still out there, are likely still hunting toni down, she has every reason to be nervous about them leaving.

 

but veronica’s right. they’ve been stuck here for so long, they deserve to have a fun day out. and if the _culebras_ can’t go out into sunlight without burning, it’s impossible for them to leave that bar during daylight. 

 

they’ll be okay. they’ll be safe.

 

“i know, veronica, but it’s absolutely _imperative_ that you come back here before sunset, please…it’s dangerous at night, and i won’t have you girls in danger, okay?” cheryl murmurs, looking over at her girls with a warm smile at the way they giddily talk to each other about what they want to do on their adventure, ethel brushing back tina’s hair with a soft laugh as lily watches them with a grin, betty talking excitedly with diana and chloe, ginger and sam laughing at a joke that laura has just told…

 

veronica seems to read the look of fear and concern on her face, or perhaps just reads the emotions coming off of her, because she sighs shakily before she nods firmly this time with determination.

 

“i’ll make sure we’re back by sunset, miss blossom. i promise.” she says softly. cheryl reaches up to brush her thumb over veronica’s cheek affectionately with a gentle smile that veronica returns before she’s turning to the other girls with a deep exhale and a firm nod.

 

“okay! let’s go, ladies! each minute we get closer to that sun setting, and there’s no way we’re staying out past that sun setting over the horizon, so let’s move it!” she says with authority, and cheryl can’t help but chuckle as she watches the girls look at veronica with a mixture of confusion, irritation and amusement as she leads them towards the front gates quickly. 

 

cheryl doesn’t move from the porch for a good five minutes before she sighs anxiously and makes her way back inside. 

 

as soon as the door shuts behind her, she sees a flash of brown before toni’s standing at the bottom of the staircase with a warm smile on her face, a soft chuckle escaping her when cheryl makes her way over to toni with a sigh.

 

“they’ll be okay, cheryl. you worry too much. the sun is out, and unless f.p’s found a way to get the _culebras_ out into the sun, they can’t be touched.” toni says, her jaw clenching as it always does every time she mentions her former abuser…

 

“i know, but the _culebras_ aren’t the only dangers in the world, toni.” cheryl murmurs, frowning as toni winces before she reaches out to take cheryl’s hand into her own.

 

“i know…but they’re in a group and they have magic. but…we’ll call veronica later on to make sure they’re safe.” toni says firmly. cheryl cocks an eyebrow before she grins widely.

 

“i told her to text me every hour. way ahead of you, topaz.” toni laughs loudly at that, and she chews on her bottom lip with hesitation before she leans in closer and wraps her arms around cheryl’s waist, pulling her in close and resting her cheek against cheryl’s collarbone in a warm embrace.

 

cheryl immediately closes her arms around toni’s small, shivering frame, resting her chin on top of toni’s head as she closes her eyes and simply allows herself to relax into toni’s touch.

 

the last week has been nothing but bliss…cheryl and toni have been taking things extremely slow, only sharing kisses every once in a while, but still sharing a bed to keep each other company, and this morning, to cheryl’s surprise, she had woken up to toni’s arm wrapped around her waist and her forehead pressed against the middle of cheryl’s back. 

 

cheryl’s not used to this, having someone in her bed, having someone want to be intimate with her, but it’s not only new for her, it’s new for toni, too. them being gentle with each other, taking the time to read each other’s emotions and movements…there’s been times when toni’s been rough, and cheryl’s tried to help her ease her grip just a little, but it’s hard, and cheryl doesn’t blame her one bit.

 

people being rough with her is all she knows…

 

but they’re learning slowly. and it’s been amazing. and it’s something…god, it’s something cheryl can definitely get used to…

 

“i didn’t have any nightmares last night…was that your doing?” toni murmurs, her lips pressing against cheryl’s skin for a brief moment before she’s turning her head to the side once more, and cheryl winces, but quickly covers it up with a chuckle before she holds her closer, giving her a gentle squeeze as she does.

 

“i can’t control dreams, toni. i think your mind is just on its way to healing.” cheryl whispers, just a _smidge_ untruthfully with a smile, sighing when toni shivers against her involuntarily before she pulls away with a soft hum and a smile of her own, looking up into cheryl’s eyes with nothing but hope shining in her own tear filled eyes.

 

“i think…you bring out the best in me, cheryl blossom.” toni croaks out, interlacing their fingers and swinging them slightly with her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip to stop a wide grin, and at the sight of it, cheryl can’t help but tug her forward, toni chuckling slightly before she raises a hand to cup cheryl’s cheek, kissing her softly, those goddamn lips of hers intoxicating cheryl with each second that passes by with them moving against her own…

 

“mmm…i was thinking, if you want…we can spend today brewing some potions?” cheryl murmurs against her lips, and toni stills suddenly before she pulls back to look at cheryl with confusion.

 

“i…it won’t work, i don’t have magic-.”

 

“i do. you can help me brew it, but i can make sure it works…just something to get you back in touch with magic, toni. so that when we find the cure and get your magic back to you, we’re not throwing you into the deep end.” cheryl says simply, tucking a lock of brown hair behind toni’s ear, the memory of those pink highlights that she saw in her vision of toni last week entering her mind as the girl purses her lips-

 

and grins widely, nodding giddily as cheryl interlaces their fingers and leads them into the kitchen with a giddy laugh of her own.

 

getting to introduce toni to magic again…god, today is going to be _good,_ she can feel it-

 

“cheryl, i…i’ll need to feed today, too. i can feel the bloodlust, and i just…want to tackle it before it gets worse. if that’s okay with you-.” toni says hurriedly, prompting cheryl to chuckle as she comes to a stop at the island and pushes toni down into one of the barstools with a smile.

 

“of course, toni. we’ll do this for a bit and then we can head upstairs to my room, okay?” cheryl reassures her, and toni sighs shakily before she nods once as cheryl begins moving around the kitchen to gather a small cauldron and a few key ingredients.

 

“what kind of potion are we feeling today?” cheryl hums, tapping her fingers against the window of the small cabinet before she opens it, and toni’s quiet for a long time, pondering before-

 

“something…something nice. maybe something…that can help someone else get a restless sleep.” she says sheepishly, and cheryl feels herself stiffen, her heart sinking as toni sighs behind her before she makes her way over to cheryl slowly.

 

“ever since we spoke about our pasts last week, you’ve been fidgeting in your sleep, cheryl. whimpering and crying, and i’ve tried my best to hold you through it, but…i don’t think it helps. and i know you weren’t being entirely truthful when you said you can’t control dreams…”

 

damn it.

 

no, cheryl isn’t able to control dreams, but she is able to tweak a person’s energy when they’re vulnerable, so ever since cheryl had seen that memory of toni last week, ever since she had experienced toni’s nightmare, she had been waiting until toni was fast asleep to help tweak her energy into one of a state of complete and utter calmness, and since then, toni hasn’t had a single nightmare.

 

but focusing so much on toni’s energy has caused cheryl’s to shift from her own, leaving her vulnerable to nightmares she hasn’t had in almost four years since she became supreme…

 

“it’s nothing, toni.”

 

“it’s not, cheryl. please…just something to help your nightmares, too.” 

 

cheryl’s back is still turned to the _culebra_ girl, and she jolts slightly when cold arms slip around her waist before a forehead is pressing against the middle of her back. cheryl sighs, closing her eyes and melting into toni’s touch before she smiles and nods once.

 

“okay…i can think of something.” 

 

\-------------

 

they spend the whole morning brewing potions.

 

by the time midday hits, cheryl and toni have concocted a nice little sleeping potion for a dreamless slumber and another to cause explosions when thrown, a nice little deploy to make a quick escape.

 

toni watches cheryl work in awe, and once they’re done, she leans up over the counter to stare down into the cauldron with intrigue, watching as cheryl stirs it before she ladles some into a spoon to pour into a vial.

 

“wow…you know the voodoo witches don’t brew potions, we use the spirits and our voodoo to create pouches…potions were never our thing.” toni murmurs, glancing up at cheryl to see her smiling widely as she nods slowly.

 

“mmm…we don’t use potions often, we rely on our own energies to create magic, but sometimes….you need a little extra oomph...but that...concludes our sleeping potion. can render any man or woman into a dreamless state of sleep and/or unconsciousness when ingested or inhaled. voila!” she sticks a cork into the small vial with clear liquid in it, smiling as she holds it up to toni’s face and shakes it before pocketing it with a chuckle, and toni smiles before she hops off the stool she’s sitting on with a sigh.

 

“you’ll take it tonight, right? so you can get a good sleep?” toni asks softly, reaching out to take cheryl’s hand into her own, and cheryl simply smiles once before she nods once.

 

“i will. but you don’t have to worry about me, toni-.”

 

“i worry, cheryl. i…” toni trails off with a frown, licking her lips before she exhales shakily and takes cheryl’s other hand, bringing both of them up to her lips to press a kiss to her pale knuckles.

 

“i really care about you. a lot…not just because you’ve saved my life in like, a hundred different ways, but because you’re just…i don’t know, someone i _need_ to have around. you’re so full of positive energy, it makes everything bad go away…even if it’s only for a little while.” toni whispers against her skin, dropping her hands before she’s reaching up to cradle cheryl’s cheeks softly in them.

 

cheryl swallows thickly before she smiles, her fingers curling around one of toni’s wrists before she leans in slowly, carefully, giving toni the chance to back out if she wants, but she leans in and closes the gap between them, kissing her with the barest of brushes of their lips before they both pull back slowly.

 

“i care about you too, toni.” she whispers back. toni smiles, her eyes fluttering closed before she inhales sharply and looks up at cheryl with concern.

 

“should…should we do the feeding now so you’re awake when the girls come back?” she says roughly, her jaw clenching as cheryl sees the guilt in her eyes that flash golden for just the briefest second, and cheryl ignores the pang in her heart and nods once before she grabs toni’s hand and leads her towards the stairs, toni sighing behind her, but following along willingly nonetheless.

 

she hates how guilty toni always feels every time she has to feed on cheryl. she doesn’t want toni to feel guilty or upset about any of this, it’s not her fault. it’s just the circumstances they’re in right now, and cheryl would rather have toni feed on her than become ravenous with bloodlust…

 

as soon as they’re through the door, toni makes her way over to the bed and flops down onto it with a loud sigh, clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut in what cheryl thinks is concentration, and cheryl takes her time before she closes the door shut behind them and makes her way over to lay down beside her, propping herself up onto her elbow and simply watching her for a few moments with a smile.

 

she’s marveled over toni’s beauty a lot over the last month, has ever since her eyes first landed on toni topaz that day at the whyte wyrm. and it’s crazy how much they’ve learned about each other in such a short amount of time, but it all just feels…right.

 

toni cracks open one eye to look up at cheryl, who chuckles before she takes a lock of toni’s hair between her fingers, looking at the brown hues and twirling it gently as she contemplates her next words.

 

“the memory i saw…you had pink highlights in your hair.” cheryl murmurs, twisting it between her fingers fondly as toni looks at her in surprise before her expression softens, tears immediately welling in them.

 

“i…i used to dye it pink. my mother loved the color.” she whispers. cheryl’s heart clenches, and toni sighs shakily as her tears spill over and fall down the sides of her face, cheryl immediately reaching up to brush them away. toni stares up at the ceiling, swallowing thickly as she does.

 

“you must’ve accessed an early memory if i had pink hair…” toni murmurs, her eyes falling down as cheryl purses her lips.

 

she doesn’t want to bring it up, she doesn’t…

 

“was it the first night?” toni barely gets out, her hand reaching down to clutch cheryl’s before she’s interlacing them and squeezing roughly. cheryl winces, but says nothing, simply nods in confirmation, causing toni to close her eyes with a shaky exhale.

 

“we don’t have to talk about it, toni. it’s okay…” cheryl says softly, and toni swallows loudly before she simply nods, eyes still squeezed shut.

 

it’s quiet again for a few moments, cheryl’s thumb brushing over toni’s hand before she eventually falls down beside toni properly, her elbow weakening as she watches and waits. toni licks her lips before her eyes flutter open, and she turns her head to look at cheryl with nothing but fear in her eyes.

 

“we have to kill them, cheryl. god knows they’re probably pissed off that…that their _plaything_ isn’t around anymore-.”

 

“don’t call yourself that, toni. you’re not a plaything, you’re a person, and they’re _monsters._ and we _will_ kill them. i promise. once we strip you of your vampirism and get you your magic back, we’ll get your revenge.” cheryl says firmly and with nothing but determination, and toni’s lips quiver before she smiles and closes her eyes, nodding slowly as cheryl reaches out and brushes the tears away with her thumb. 

 

toni curls her fingers around the wrist of the hand at her cheek, tilting her head sideways to press a kiss to cheryl’s palm, and cheryl inches just that little bit closer, her knee nudging against toni’s thigh before the _culebra_ girl turns onto her side slowly to intertwine their legs. 

 

“you’re so gentle…” toni breathes, her eyes fluttering closed as the both of them breathe in deeply, and cheryl’s hand moves down from her cheek to brush up and down toni’s bare arm soothingly, toni’s other hand gripping her elbow and brushing her fingers up and down her skin just the same. 

 

“i could never hurt you, toni…” cheryl whispers, nothing but sincerity dripping from every word, still watching toni’s face as the girl purses her lips, shaking her head just a little before her eyes flutter open, still chocolate brown, not flickering gold, she’s still in control…

 

“mmm…how crazy, that you’re so calm and so tender despite everything that’s happened to you…” toni murmurs, her nails digging slightly into cheryl’s skin as the red haired girl chuckles and leans in a little closer with a soft hum.

 

“i promised myself i would never be anything like my mother…i’d never been shown an iota of kindness in my entire life, but as soon as i became supreme and my mother passed, there was a witch on the council who showed me what it’s like to be the _right_ kind of supreme. her name was mary andrews, and she’s actually the mother of archie andrews, the headmaster of the male academy a few towns over. she helped me in my first year as supreme, and she instilled in me such a sense of calm and respect for not only my fellow witches, but magic itself. and the kindness she showed me…” cheryl trails off, closing her eyes and thinking of the woman who changed her entire world, who turned it upside down, made it from a nightmare to a blessing…

 

“she seems amazing.” toni breathes. cheryl smiles and nods once as she opens her eyes and inches even closer until their noses are almost touching, toni’s breath hitching slightly and causing cheryl to come to a complete still, respecting her wishes to take this as far as she wants it to go.

 

“she is.” cheryl confirms, teeth sinking down onto her bottom lip as toni watches her, her hand trailing up from cheryl’s elbow to brush over her cheek, down her nose, tracing over her brows down to her jawline, taking in each inch of her features…

 

“my mother was the same. she was filled with so much kindness and warmth…i clung to that warmth for twenty years, so that when the day came that i escaped, i wouldn’t forget who she was… _who i was._ but that hope…that hope d-dwindled with each passing day, cheryl, until it was just g-gone. they took everything f-from me-.”

 

“shh…shh, it’s okay, you’re _safe_ now, toni. you never have to go back there.” cheryl croaks out, gripping her wrist and pressing a kiss to her palm, mirroring toni’s actions from earlier as she smiles, and toni returns it, lips turning upwards as her eyes flutter closed once more to hide the pain so clearly shining in them.

 

“thanks to you.” she whispers. 

 

“and josie.” cheryl says quickly, and toni purses her lips and lets out another loud sigh before she shakes her head.

 

“josie gave up on me within the first two days, but you…you never did. you’ve spent the last month trying to help me. cheryl, you’re…” toni trails off, scoffing in disbelief before looks at cheryl with this look that the supreme can’t explain.

 

it’s completely different from anything she’s seen before.

 

before she can even dwell on it further, toni’s hand grips her cheek a little tighter, leaning forward and almost attacking cheryl’s lips with a ferocity the girl doesn’t expect. toni’s hand falls down to cheryl’s waist, tugging her closer as her teeth bite down on cheryl’s bottom lip, pulling harshly and causing cheryl to groan against her, her body heating up almost on command-

 

this is new territory, completely new territory for her, she’s never done this before, never felt this before with someone, oh god-

 

toni moves so quickly, cheryl doesn’t even have time to process what’s happening, the girl quickly straddling cheryl’s hips and leaning over her as she kisses her deeply, passionately, her hands landing on either side of cheryl’s head as the red haired girl’s hands move under toni’s shirt to brush over the skin of her spine, nails digging in when toni whines against her lips loudly.

 

wait…wait, this is going so fast, too fast-

 

“toni-.” she’s silenced before she can even utter out the first syllable of toni’s name, the girl’s lips descending against hers once again, her body practically pinning cheryl’s beneath her to the mattress roughly as cheryl tries to adjust beneath her-

 

cheryl barely gets her shoulders up off the bed before toni’s pushing her back down with a grunt, and cheryl squeezes her eyes shut at the pain that explodes over her chest when toni’s thumbs dig into her collarbones harshly-

 

“toni, st-stop, you’re h-hurting me…” cheryl breathes out, wincing as toni pulls away and looks down at her with wide eyes filled with shock. the complete and utter anguish in them breaks cheryl’s heart, the horror at what she’s done as she pulls back quickly, about to move up off cheryl’s lap, looking more than ready to run and not stop running-

 

“i…i’m sorry-.”

 

“it’s okay, wait!” cheryl grips her hand gently to stop her, shaking her head as she catches her breath quickly and shakes her head, the pain already fading and healing, but all her focus is on toni, because she understands. 

 

after everything toni’s been through…she doesn’t know anything _but_ being rough, cheryl understands…

 

_show her…god, show her, cheryl, show her…_

 

“it’s okay, just…look at me, toni…” 

 

tears are falling so rapidly down toni’s cheeks, a choked out sob resounding in her chest, but cheryl pulls her in closer, doesn’t force her, waits for toni to be the one to lean in, which she does after a few heartbreaking moments of despair, her tear filled eyes meeting cheryl’s.

 

and the supreme blinks back tears of her own and brushes away toni’s with the back of her hand before she smiles softly. 

 

“it’s okay…i understand, i don’t blame you, toni. but…here, give me your hand.” cheryl moves her hand down toni’s arm slowly, and when she interlaces their fingers, she brings toni’s hand up to rest over her collarbone, ensuring the girl’s fingers are loose, not gripping tightly, not pressing down, just loose…brushing over cheryl’s skin beneath her shirt as she fights back a shiver and looks up at toni with her heart pounding in her goddamn chest so fast…

 

“you can be gentle, toni. you’re capable of it. look…” cheryl says softly, tucking a lock of hair behind toni’s ear as the girl continues tracing patterns over cheryl’s collarbone slowly, taking her time with it before she looks up at cheryl with nothing but lust shining in her eyes.

 

_oh god…_

 

“i...i want this, cheryl, i want _you_.” toni whispers, causing cheryl’s heart to actually drop down to somewhere below her feet as her breathing quickens and her hands suddenly get clammy with nerves-

 

_breathe, cheryl…breathe…_

 

“i…toni, are you sure?” cheryl croaks out, wanting confirmation of her consent, unwilling to do anything, even move an _inch_ with toni planted so firmly in her lap, but the girl doesn’t hesitate as she nods, looks into cheryl’s eyes before she bites down on her bottom lip and speaks once more.

 

“i’m sure, but…be patient with me, cheryl, please be patient, i…i don’t know h-how to do this properly, how to…how to b-be-.” toni stutters out, but cheryl silences her, resting her finger over toni’s lips with a reassuring smile.

 

“shh…i’ll give you all the time in the world, toni. we can go as slow as you want.” cheryl says softly, pushing down her nerves, her anxiety, and focusing solely on toni.

 

she needs this to be good…she needs this to be gentle, intimate…something so different to what she’s had to suffer for the last twenty years…

 

“if i’m rough-.”

 

“i’ll tell you. i promise.” cheryl reassures her, and toni sinks her teeth down into her bottom lip again before she nods slowly and leans in to rest her forehead against cheryl’s, the both of them breathing in deeply, trying to calm their racing hearts as the hand on cheryl’s collarbone moves down to grip the hem of her shirt.

 

“you’re shaking…” cheryl murmurs, watching as toni’s trembling hands grip her shirt tightly, a soft whimper escaping her, and cheryl pulls back and grips toni’s face in her hands as delicately as possible, forcing her gaze up and looking into her eyes, trying to give off some of her calming energy to toni despite how very anxious and excited she is right now…

 

“i’m s-scared…” toni’s voice is so high pitched, it fucking breaks cheryl’s heart, and she can’t think of anything else to do.

 

she leans up, presses the softest of kisses to toni’s lips before she pulls back and brushes her thumbs over toni’s cheeks tenderly.

 

_she’s scared you’re gonna hurt her, cheryl, and can you blame her? it’s all she knows…_

 

“i won’t hurt you. i promise. how far we go, what we do…that’s all up to you…you have the control, toni, god, for once in your life…you have the control.” cheryl says hoarsely, swallowing the lump in her throat, and toni stares at her for a few moments, eyes boring into cheryl’s, not uncomfortably, but almost as if she’s reading her.

 

and despite the fact that cheryl’s never had this before, never _done_ this before…everything seems to work on instinct.

 

toni closes the gap between them once more, kissing her deeply, and cheryl brings toni’s hands back to the hem of her shirt, peeling back just long enough to whisper against her lips.

 

“you can take it off, it’s okay.” she breathes, and toni inhales sharply against her before she pulls cheryl’s shirt up and off her body, cheryl lifting her arms to help her.

 

toni hesitates in touching her, bottom lip caught between her teeth, and despite cheryl’s nerves, she grabs toni’s hands and rests them on her sides before slowly laying down, toni moving down with her with shaky exhales as she digs her nails into cheryl’s pale skin lightly.

 

toni looks down at her with this look of such innocence, it breaks cheryl’s heart, and she smiles and reaches her own hands up to cup toni’s face, raising an eyebrow in question and leaning in when toni gives her a small nod to kiss her slowly. toni’s hands are still on her sides, not moving an inch, and cheryl pulls back breathlessly, nuzzles her nose against toni’s affectionately with a smile.

 

“do what feels right, toni…if i don’t like something, i’ll tell you, i promise.” cheryl whispers against her lips. toni whimpers before she captures cheryl’s lips in her own once more, and a few moments of hesitation pass before toni begins to brush her fingers up and down cheryl’s sides soothingly, the red haired girl smiling against her at the step she’s taken forward as she responds to the kiss enthusiastically. 

 

“if…i do something…you don’t like…tell me, toni, please tell me…” cheryl manages to get out between kisses, and toni nods against her before she kisses her deeply with a soft whine, gripping cheryl’s wrists and moving them from her face down to the hem of her own shirt, causing cheryl’s heart to pound painfully against her ribs with a sharp inhale.

 

“you…you can take it off, too.” toni says hoarsely, pressing their foreheads together as cheryl sits up slowly and moves against her, gripping the hem of toni’s shirt between her fingers and slowly, so very slowly inching it up toni’s stomach, past her breasts, toni’s arms lifting as cheryl pulls it up and off her body-

 

when she pulls back, cheryl looks at toni, maintains the eye contact and keeps her hands resting on either side of toni’s body on the bed, and toni’s eyes close, the girl taking deep breaths in before she grabs cheryl’s hands and brings them up to rest on her sides.

 

“cheryl…” she croaks out, swallowing thickly as the red haired girl leans in a little closer with a smile.

 

“your pace, toni.” cheryl whispers back, and when toni meets her eyes, she notices how cheryl’s kept eye contact, hasn’t even stared at her body without her permission, and cheryl feels a burst of something she’s never felt before, an energy completely new to her-

 

“you can look, cheryl. and…and you can touch, you…touch me, cheryl, please touch me-.” toni breathes, grabbing cheryl’s hands and moving them higher up her body, and cheryl takes the leap, can’t stop herself even if she wanted to try, spreads the palm of her hands over toni’s back and pulls her closer as her lips press a kiss to the corner of her mouth, trailing down to her jawline, to the column of her throat, kiss after kiss, unable to get enough of the taste of toni’s skin, and god, the sound of her breathy gasps, but as much as she wants to go further, she knows…she _knows_ she has no right to do so, not after everything toni’s been through.

 

toni’s hands reach behind cheryl’s back, fingers fiddling with the clasp of her bra, and cheryl grunts against her collarbone before she’s nodding against her throat and pressing a kiss to it to let toni know she’s fine with what she’s doing. the resounding chuckle of toni’s that echoes in her ear causes cheryl to smile, her eyes fluttering closed as toni finally manages to unhook the clasp and trails her fingers over the straps to pull them down cheryl’s arms, their lips reconnecting when toni finally manages to take it off. 

 

toni pulls back, licking her lips, and cheryl nods again with a soft laugh, causing toni to bite down on her bottom lip, her eyes roaming over cheryl’s body as the red haired girl does the same to toni.

 

golden, tanned skin, a taut stomach, still too skinny, ribs prominent beneath, full breasts hidden beneath a bra of cheryl’s that’s just a bit too big for toni, collarbones jutting out beneath slightly lighter skin-

 

cheryl meets toni’s eyes, sees her taking in cheryl in just as much awe with wide eyes and her mouth slightly dropped open in complete admiration, her hands hesitating on cheryl’s stomach, a pink tongue poking out to lick at full lips-

 

“you can touch me too, toni.” cheryl says hoarsely, and with that, toni swallows thickly and leans in to kiss her, her hands coming to rest over cheryl’s chest, handling the globes of flesh and squeezing slightly, causing cheryl to moan against her without control at the feeling. 

 

this is so surreal. this feeling, toni touching her body in ways that it’s never been touched before, but it feels…god, it feels _amazing._ it feels right, it feels normal, it feels…like everything she’s ever wanted. everything she’s been waiting for-

 

toni’s hands move up from her breasts to cup the back of her neck, pulling her forward slightly as she slowly begins to lay down on her back on the bed, her head eventually resting on the pillows with a breathless gasp as cheryl reconnects their lips and stays to the side of toni’s body until she’s given the okay to go further.

 

toni curls a hand around the back of one of her thighs and pulls cheryl up and over her body onto her hips until cheryl’s straddling her, the red haired girl being careful not to put too much of her weight on the smaller girl as she trails her fingers up and down toni’s stomach, dancing across the skin and watching as toni simply breathes for a few moments with her eyes closed.

 

“are you okay?” cheryl whispers with worry. toni’s answer comes in her leaning up to curl a hand around the back of cheryl’s neck to pull her down for a bruising kiss, teeth nipping at cheryl’s bottom lip desperately.

 

toni pulls away, stares up into cheryl’s eyes breathlessly for a few moments before she’s suddenly reaching for cheryl’s hands, bringing them to her own chest while she lies there completely still. cheryl swallows numbly and reaches for the front clasp of the bra she’s wearing. she looks up at toni, waiting for the go ahead, and when toni simply purses her lips and nods once, cheryl exhales shakily and undoes the button keeping the fabric together. 

 

cheryl is as slow and as gentle as possible, because she knows those _monsters_ must’ve hurt her, torn her clothes off every goddamn chance they got-

 

the tears well in her eyes before she can stop them, the thought of those…those vile, disgusting men hurting the girl she’s touching right now, and god, just the fact that toni is trusting her enough to touch her right now, to be this intimate with her…

 

it’s too much.

 

she blinks back her tears as best she can, but toni notices them, props herself up on one elbow and reaches a hand up to brush her thumb over cheryl’s cheek as the girl sniffs once and looks up at her in complete and utter awe.

 

“toni…thank you for trusting me.” cheryl whispers, looking up at the girl as one stray tear falls down her cheek, lands on toni’s thumb, and the girl smiles softly, slowly settles back down on the bed as cheryl peels the fabric back, watches as goosebumps erupt over the skin of toni’s breasts, each inch of skin exposed to cheryl making her heart race wildly as toni arches her back to let cheryl slide the bra down her arms and off her body.

 

cheryl finds herself simply staring, observing, her hands hesitant to move before she looks up at toni, who nods again with a smile. and before cheryl moves her hands over toni’s chest, she looks into her eyes and returns her smile.

 

“you’re beautiful, toni.” cheryl tells her as sincerely as she possibly can, brushing away toni’s tears as they fall with the back of one of her hands before they’re falling down to cup over full breasts, thumbs brushing over pebbled nipples and causing toni to whine and arch her back up into cheryl’s touch desperately. 

 

cheryl leans in to press her lips against toni’s throat, kissing down the column of it tenderly as her hands continue to massage the flesh beneath them, cheryl’s teeth scraping over toni’s pulse point-

 

toni freezes beneath her, this soft whimper escaping her throat and causing cheryl to immediately look up at her with concern.

 

her eyes are squeezed shut, her whole body taut and shivering at the same time, and cheryl moves up and reaches a hand to cup toni’s jaw, brushing her thumb over her skin softly as she does to bring her out of whatever memory she’s been thrown into-

 

“i’m not going to hurt you, toni…i swear to you, i won’t hurt you…open your eyes, it’s me…toni, it’s cheryl…” the red haired girl whispers, tenderly and affectionately brushing her thumb over toni’s cheekbone as tears fall down the sides of her face and into her hair. her eyes slowly flutter open, and she looks into cheryl’s eyes for the longest moment before she’s swallowing thickly and nodding once, her eyes squeezing shut once more.

 

“you won’t hurt me…you won’t hurt me…” she whimpers to reassure herself, and cheryl’s bottom lip trembles with pain over the heartache in toni’s voice, the panic and the fear-

 

“never. shh, it’s okay, _never_ , toni.” she croaks out, leaning down to press a kiss to the corner of toni’s mouth. 

 

“th-they used to h-hurt me so bad, ch-cheryl-.” toni chokes out, tears falling down the sides of her face and into her hair, her face screwed up in anguish at the memories, and cheryl brushes her tears away, presses another kiss to her cheek and smiles.

 

she knows what to do.

 

“when i saw you up on that stage…you had bruises all over your body, toni. i saw them here…” cheryl moves her lips down over toni’s collarbones, peppering the skin with gentle kisses and smiling when she feels toni relax a little more into the bed with a heavy sigh. 

 

“and here…” cheryl croaks out, hesitating before she kisses down the valley between her breasts, causing toni to groan loudly and suddenly weave her fingers through cheryl’s hair as she reaches her ribs, each bone sticking out beneath the skin so glaringly, her lips puckering into soft kisses along the skin of them…

 

“and here…” cheryl breathes, moving down to her hipbones, her hands resting on either side of the bed before she uses one hand to brush her thumb over the jutting bone on one side while her lips place cold kisses to the other, her eyes moving up to watch as toni sinks down into the pillow and closes her eyes, her breathing heavy with fear or anticipation, cheryl isn’t sure…

 

“your past doesn’t define you, toni. you aren’t what they did to you, what they made you go through. you’re this…god, this beautiful, fragile, amazing person, and from the second i saw you…” cheryl trails off, swallowing thickly as she moves back up toni’s body, her hands coming to rest on either side of toni’s head as the girl opens her eyes and looks up at cheryl in complete and utter awe.

 

“whatever you want. whatever you _need._ not just now, but for as long as i draw breath, toni…it’s _yours._ i will do everything in my power to give you everything you deserve.” cheryl says so passionately, complete sincerity dripping from every syllable she utters as toni gasps softly and looks up at her with wide eyes filled with tears, trying to understand, to break down what she’s just said…

 

“you…cheryl, i-.”

 

“you don’t need to say anything. just tell me when to stop, or when i’m doing something you don’t like. right now, toni, all i want to do is make you happy.” cheryl whispers, smiling as she leans down to kiss her lips softly, and when she pulls back, toni tucks a lock of hair behind cheryl’s ear with the goddamn most brilliant smile cheryl’s ever seen in her entire life.

 

“you already do.” she whispers back. 

 

cheryl can’t help the laugh that escapes her, smiles when toni giggles before she moves down to kiss her a little more insistently right now, and a few minutes pass before she begins to move her way back down toni’s body, taking her time, being as slow and as gentle as she can to give toni the opportunity and the time to back out if she wants, but she doesn’t. 

 

when cheryl nudges her nose against the curve of toni’s breast, the girl’s back arches off the bed, this soft whine of pleasure escaping her that turns into a groan when cheryl swirls her tongue over a pebbled nipple, full lips enclosing around it to suck gently until toni’s gasping for air and moaning so loudly, each sound has cheryl’s entire body quivering with anticipation and want. 

 

cheryl rides purely on instinct, calls back to a brief moment in her past when she had fooled around with another witch in san diego named heather, the both of them never going further than what she’s gone right now with toni due to cheryl having a panic attack the second heather had grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged on it.

 

the memories of penelope dragging her through this home by her hair had had her collapsing into a state of panic, and instead of helping her, heather had simply patted her back and walked off as soon as cheryl was okay again. she told cheryl to call her when she was ready.

 

cheryl ripped the paper her number was left on into pieces and threw them out of the window of her car on the drive back to riverdale. 

 

when toni runs her fingers through cheryl’s hair, she’s gentle, nails scratching so lightly at her scalp as she pulls away from toni’s breast with a loud pop and looks up at her with a soft smile, making her way over to the other side, but toni’s free hand cups her jaw, and cheryl’s pulled up to toni’s face instead, full pink lips encasing her own in a passionate kiss that has her mind spinning and her heart racing. 

 

“toni?” cheryl asks against her lips, pulling back to look into her eyes as toni’s eyes flutter open from the kiss in an almost euphoric daze.

 

“yeah?” she squeaks out, causing cheryl to chuckle before she kisses her softly once more.

 

“your jeans…” cheryl trails off, staring up into toni’s eyes sadly, and the girl inhales sharply before she licks her lips and nods once, looking into cheryl’s eyes with a mixture of sadness and desire, such an odd goddamn combination- 

 

“go slow…they...they used to r-rip my clothes off and i d-don’t want to think about…about _them_ -.” 

 

“i know…i know, of course, honey, shh...you're safe, i promise…” cheryl reassures her quickly, her hands trailing ever so slowly and gently down toni’s stomach before she reaches the button of her jeans, again, their height difference making the jeans just a little big for her. she pops upon the button slowly, once again giving toni the time to back out, but she doesn’t, stares up into cheryl’s eyes before her hands are gripping cheryl’s face and bringing her down for the most sensual kiss they’ve ever shared, lips moving against each other’s slowly, softly, tenderly…

 

cheryl pulls the zipper down next, her fingers fumbling with it, nerves beginning to get the better of her, but she does her best to remain calm, to keep her lips moving against toni’s to distract her from thinking of her trauma, and when she begins moving down toni’s throat with gentle kisses, down between her breasts, over her stomach, she loops her fingers into the waistband of the jeans and looks up at toni with concern, watching her face carefully as she gently begins to tug them down toni’s legs.

 

when toni whimpers half way down past her thighs, cheryl pauses, peppers the top of those tanned thighs with soft kisses before toni relaxes into the bed and she moves them down further. once they’re past her ankles, she peels them off slowly and drops them over the side of the bed, her hands brushing up and down toni’s calves with a reassuring smile. when toni looks down at her with a shaky smile as she exhales, cheryl leans down and kisses just above her knee, humming against the skin happily and trying not to think about the fact that she has toni topaz almost completely naked on her bed right now.

 

“cheryl?” she looks up at the sound of her name, and toni holds her hand out, motioning for cheryl to take it, which she does. toni interlaces their fingers and swallows thickly before she looks down at cheryl once more. 

 

“can…can you do that again?” she says in a small voice, biting down on her bottom lip almost shyly as cheryl cocks an eyebrow and immediately presses another kiss closer to her inner thigh, smiling when she hears toni let out a breathy sigh.

 

“like that?” cheryl asks huskily, and when toni lets out a soft moan before she nods furiously, cheryl grins widely and continues peppering her inner thighs with soft kisses, her fingers dancing along the skin of her outer thighs playfully as she does. 

 

the higher up she gets, the more nervous cheryl feels, but she tries her best to swallow it down as she exhales shakily against toni’s center, causing her hips to jerk and this _amazing_ sound to escape her lips that causes cheryl’s brain to short circuit for half a moment, blinking in a daze at the sound she just heard.

 

_god, i wanna hear that again._

 

cheryl reaches up for the hem of toni’s panties, curls a finger into them and gives pause for just a moment. when toni doesn’t say anything, she takes that as indication to continue, and she slowly inches them down toni’s thighs, the fabric clinging to her slightly before cheryl all but flings them off her ankles and settles herself back between toni’s legs on her stomach.

 

_instinct, cheryl. run on pure instinct, whatever she likes, keep doing…_

 

cheryl chews on her bottom lip as her eyes take in the sight before her, and she quickly pulls off her own jeans, looks up as toni purses her lips and reaches for her hand with a soft mewl. cheryl looks up at her with the softest smile she can muster before she interlaces their fingers once more, crawls up the bed and over toni’s body before giving her fingers a gentle squeeze to reassure toni once again that she’s safe with her as their bare legs entangle on top of the mattress, cheryl biting back an audible groan at the feeling of it-

 

“i’ve…i’ve never felt this before, cheryl.” toni whispers, her chest heaving with these deep pants for air that cheryl knows is from the excitement currently coursing through toni’s veins. the energy coming off her is absolutely _insane._

 

“what do you feel?” cheryl murmurs, pressing a kiss to her hipbone before she moves up her body with more kisses, her fingers brushing over the top of her thighs continuously until her lips reach toni’s for a soothing kiss. 

 

“happiness…pleasure…lust…excitement…the complete opposite of anything i’ve ever felt at the wyrm. this…” toni breathes against her, and before cheryl can do anything, toni’s gripping her wrist and lowering her hand over her breasts, fingers brushing past her stomach until-

 

cheryl gasps as soon as her hand makes contact with toni’s center, her eyes widening in surprise as toni arches up into her touch with a soft whine, teeth clutching her bottom lip as her eyes flutter closed.

 

“i’ve never felt _this_ before.” toni exhales shakily, looking up into cheryl’s eyes, the both of them staring at each other for the longest time before cheryl leans down to kiss her, toni’s arms wrapping around her neck and pulling her down closer as the hand at her center dips down lower, her fingers moving through slick folds-

 

toni pulls away from her lips with a breathless gasp, her hips bucking up into cheryl’s hand desperately as she moves down to her neck, peppering the salted skin with kisses that leave toni writhing beneath her with each pass of her hand until she circles her clit with the pads of her index and middle finger. 

 

“cheryl, i-fuck…” toni breathes out, her cheek resting against the side of cheryl’s face as she ducks her head down further to kiss up and down toni’s shoulder, over her neck, past her jawline to her lips once more-

 

toni’s hips continue bucking up into cheryl’s hand, and cheryl can feel the sweat coating her skin, the heat rising to her cheeks and the arousal pounding through her at the sound of toni’s soft moans, her nails digging into cheryl’s back, but cheryl doesn’t mind it, finds her free arm curling around toni’s waist as it moves up off the bed to lift her up against her own body further, her hand moving through slick heat faster as toni whispers into her ear for her to push harder, which she does.

 

cheryl can feel toni’s body heat against her own, and she finds herself kissing her way down toni’s body once more, over her collarbones, down her flushed chest, and god, the feeling of her stomach muscles tensing beneath her lips has cheryl’s eyes rolling into the back of her head as she slows her hand down and kisses across toni’s hipbones before resting on her stomach between her legs once more.

 

“is this okay?” cheryl croaks out, looking up at toni as she pulls her hand away, and toni groans loudly, but nods desperately as cheryl hooks her legs over her shoulders, again, running purely on instinct. 

 

toni’s reaching for her hands once more, and cheryl immediately rests her hands on toni’s hipbones so the girl can interlace their fingers, her lips pressing kisses to her inner thighs once more as she coos softly. toni relaxes back down into the bed at the sound and keeps her eyes on cheryl as she exhales shakily before driving her tongue forward through toni’s center.

 

the second cheryl’s tongue makes contact with her clit, toni’s back is arching off the bed with the loudest moan yet, this breathless gasp escaping her as cheryl focuses solely on stimulating the soaked bud between her lips, eyes closed, tongue savoring the taste on the roof of her mouth, and she can’t help the groan that escapes her as well, a shudder running up toni’s body at the feeling-

 

cheryl works diligently, but softly, desperate to make toni feel good, but also wanting her to feel safe and secure, the thumbs at her hips brushing over the jutting bones soothingly while toni squeezes the other fingers with each swipe of cheryl’s tongue against her. 

 

“that f-feels good…that feels so g-good-.” toni chokes out, and when cheryl hears her begin crying, these heavy sobs stuttering out of her chest and her whole body shaking, cheryl looks up at her with concern. 

 

“toni?” she says hoarsely, watching with worry as toni untangles her hand from cheryl’s and covers her eyes, her face screwed up with sadness before she swallows thickly and shakes her head, letting out a deep breath and looking down at cheryl in desperation.

 

“it f-feels good…i’ve n-never f-felt this b-before…” she croaks out, and the realization of what toni is trying to say crashes down on cheryl like a tidal wave, tears welling in her eyes as she holds her hand out for toni to take, which she does, a sad smile forming on her face as the other hand reaches out to brush cheryl’s hair back from her face. 

 

all she’s associated sex with is pain. and cheryl’s giving her something she’s never had before…

 

_focus, cheryl, do this for her…_

 

“let me make you feel good, toni…” cheryl whispers, kissing her inner thighs to relax her once more, and toni exhales shakily once again before she nods and settles back down on the pillow, her hands grasping cheryl’s once again as the supreme lets her own tears fall and turns her attention back to pleasuring the girl beneath her. 

 

within minutes, toni’s back to letting out these soft moans, her hips bucking up into cheryl’s face before her back pulls taut and her eyes squeeze shut, her entire body writhing beneath cheryl’s as she slowly eases her back down onto the bed gently, her tongue slowing down, but not stopping until toni’s back falls down onto the mattress once more, her cries of pleasure tapering off into gentle moans and heavy pants.

 

“ch-cheryl…” she breathes, the fingers squeezing cheryl’s letting go to rake through red hair as the supreme kisses her inner thighs and makes her way up her body once more. 

 

by the time she reaches toni’s face and leans down to press a gentle kiss to her lips, toni’s almost in a complete and utter daze, and when she opens her eyes, they’re shining gold.

 

_she’s hungry…_

 

“toni…you need to feed, i-.”

 

“shh…shh, not y-yet, i j-just…cheryl…” toni squeezes her eyes shut, swallowing thickly as a bead of sweat drips down the side of her face, down her neck, and cheryl leans down to kiss it away, savors the salty taste with a smile before she hovers above toni once more to see her open her eyes.

 

and chocolate brown ones stare back at her. 

 

“toni…my god, you’re gaining more control with each passing day-.” toni silences her with a kiss, a soft whine escaping her as she pulls cheryl down until her naked body is pressed against cheryl’s tightly, both girls pulling away at the same time breathlessly before toni smiles and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. 

 

“thank you…thank you so much.” toni says shakily, tears springing to her eyes once more as cheryl smiles softly and leans down to kiss her slowly once more.

 

“my pleasure, toni.” she whispers against her lips. she rests her head in the crook of toni’s neck, her fingers brushing up and down toni’s sides as the girl beneath her runs her fingers through her sweat soaked hair.

 

it’s quiet for a long time, the both of them catching their breath and simply basking in each other’s presence, and when cheryl begins pressing kisses to toni’s neck, the girl kisses her hairline before she’s tucking a finger under cheryl’s chin to lift her gaze, her lips crashing down onto cheryl’s before she’s spinning them around until she’s hovering over cheryl’s body now, lips hungrily kissing down cheryl’s jawline, over her throat, teeth nipping at her pulse point-

 

cheryl’s breath hitches before she can stop herself, and toni freezes above her, jaw clenching as she breathes in deeply before she opens her eyes and looks down at cheryl with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.

 

“control. looks like i’m getting good at it.” she teases, causing cheryl to giggle before she’s gasping at the feeling of toni’s lips against her throat once more.

 

“i think you’re doing amazing, toni.” she breathes, laughing once more when toni bites playfully at her collarbone before she begins kissing her way down cheryl’s body. she kisses between the valley of her breasts before she looks up at cheryl with her bottom lip caught between her teeth, this grin hiding beneath it as she exhales shakily and grabs one of cheryl’s hands, lifting it to rest over her own chest.

 

“my heart is beating so fast…can you feel that?” toni croaks out, looking down at her with surprise, and cheryl frowns before she presses her fingers down just a little harder, the fast thrumming against her fingers causing her to gasp in shock before she smiles and grabs toni’s hand to rest over her chest just the same.

 

“so is mine.” she whispers back. toni’s eyes widen before she’s giggling, leaning down to kiss cheryl’s lips before she’s making her way back down cheryl’s body once more, her kisses a little more insistent, a little more desperate-

 

toni takes her time just like cheryl did, but god, she’s so _gentle_ , it has tears pricking at cheryl’s eyes, her body trembling with anticipation as toni hooks a finger into the lace of her underwear before tugging them down her long pale legs, her lips following each inch it moves down before she flings them off cheryl’s legs with a soft laugh.

 

“you’re…beyond beautiful, cheryl. beyond words, beyond comprehension…” toni whispers in awe, trailing her lips back up cheryl’s thighs, over her hips, teeth nipping at her ribs before she’s closing her lips over one of cheryl’s breasts, causing the girl’s eyes to roll into the back of her head as she lets out a breathy moan of pleasure, unable to even reply to toni’s praise. 

 

when cold fingers make contact with her center, cheryl finds herself losing all capability to even speak.

 

“ugh!” is all that comes out, the sound of toni’s laughter echoing in her ear as she kisses her way up cheryl’s body to her lips once more, cutting off any other sounds from exiting as she simply whines against toni’s lips desperately.

 

“i…what do you need, cheryl? i don’t want to hurt you…” toni asks with hesitation, eyes wide and bottom lip caught between her teeth as cheryl licks her lips and lets out a shaky laugh.

 

“go slow. it’s okay, you’re not hurting me at all, toni.” cheryl manages to get out, eyes fluttering at the pleasure that rips through her when toni presses just a little harder down on her clit, fingers moving diligently and in a way that has cheryl gasping at the sensation.

 

toni works slowly, her head ducking down to kiss over cheryl’s throat softly before she inhales sharply against alabaster skin when cheryl bucks up into her touch with a loud moan, and cheryl simply presses a kiss to her hairline before she inhales deeply and wraps her arms around toni’s shoulders. 

 

she just needs a little more…

 

cheryl’s about to tell her when toni’s fingers move down, almost like she can fucking read cheryl’s mind, the pad of her index finger pressing against cheryl’s entrance before she pushes herself up to look into cheryl’s eyes for confirmation that she can go ahead.

 

when cheryl nods, toni sinks her finger into wet heat, cheryl’s loud moan eclipsing toni’s as her body shivers with complete and utter pleasure. before she can even say anything, toni’s silencing her, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth and tugging lightly as she slowly begins to pump her finger in and out of cheryl’s center, a second finger quickly joining the first and causing cheryl to pull away from her lips with a groan, brow furrowed, hips canting into her touch-

 

it’s embarrassing, how close she gets so quickly, but after watching toni writhe beneath her, cheryl can’t exactly blame herself. the connection, the energy in the room is palpable, something cheryl’s never felt before, and _god_ , it’s making everything so much more heightened, so much more _better-_

 

toni’s hips push against hers, driving her fingers in further before her thumb moves up to brush over her clit, and with three insistent rubs, cheryl’s hold around her shoulders tightens, her nails digging into her shoulder blades as she shudders through her orgasm, soft moans and whimpers leaving her lips while toni simply ducks her head into cheryl’s neck and rides it out with her, hips moving against cheryl’s before she slows to help cheryl down from her high. 

 

cheryl simply holds toni close as she catches her breath, the both of them covered in a sleek sheen of sweat, and toni continues pressing languid kisses to cheryl’s skin as the red haired girl runs her fingers up and down toni’s spine, her eyes already fluttering closed from exhaustion.

 

she can’t even put into words what just happened between them, but the happiness coursing through her right now…cheryl will never find the words to describe it.

 

it’s beyond anything she’s ever felt. she feels unstoppable. she feels-

 

toni whines against her skin, and when cheryl tucks a finger under her chin to lift her gaze, she sees toni’s eyes are golden once more, her jaw clenched as she squeezes them shut to stop cheryl from seeing them.

 

“toni…you need to feed.” cheryl croaks out, smiling and pressing a kiss right between her eyes as the girl sighs shakily against her. 

 

“it’s like…it’s like it’s _worse_ after that, and i don’t know why-.”

 

“your emotions are in overdrive and you’re full of lust and post orgasm bliss, toni. it kind of makes sense.” cheryl says with a laugh, grinning when toni groans with what sounds like embarrassment before she ducks her head into cheryl’s neck to hide her face. 

 

“i just…i don’t want to hurt you, not after what we just did, i want to hold you, protect you from anything that can cause you harm…and i’m _one_ of those things, and it fucking sucks-.”

 

“toni…” cheryl sighs, frowning as she taps toni’s shoulder to get her to lift her head from her neck, and toni pulls back, tears in her eyes as she looks down at cheryl and sniffs once sadly. 

 

“you can’t help your circumstances. and i know you don’t want to feed on me, but it’s necessary. besides, you can still hold me. here…” cheryl smiles reassuringly before she tilts her head to the side to expose her neck and grabs toni’s arms, wrapping one around her waist and bringing the other to rest beside her head while she adjusts her legs until toni’s entire body is pressed right against hers, legs entangled-

 

cheryl bites down on her bottom lip to fight off the arousal that instantly pounds through her at the feeling of toni’s body against her own. as much as she’d like to go again, because _god, that was amazing_ , she knows toni needs to feed, and the girls will be back soon…

 

“see? you’re holding me.” cheryl breathes, looking up into toni’s eyes as the girl hovers over her before she’s using the hand by cheryl’s head to brush her fingers through red hair, inhaling sharply and pursing her lips as she does.

 

the arm holding her waist tightens as toni licks her lips, and cheryl’s surprised to see the snake scales don’t ripple over her face, but her canines grow, resting against her bottom lip as she sighs and swallows thickly.

 

“just relax…” toni rasps out, and cheryl rolls her eyes and lets out a soft chuckle.

 

“we’ve done this before, toni. besides, i think the only thing i’m feeling right now _is relaxed._ ” she teases, laughing again when toni rolls her golden eyes playfully before she ducks down to press a kiss to cheryl’s neck.

 

“good…just stay still, i wanna…i wanna worship you a little longer.” she breathes out, and god, those words have cheryl squirming in her hold before she can stop herself, this soft whine escaping her that has toni inhaling sharply before cheryl comes to a complete still against her.

 

“sorry.” she croaks out, causing toni to chuckle before she’s pattering kisses across cheryl’s throat, nose nudging under her chin to get her to lift her head up as the feeling of toni’s cold lips has her gasping, goosebumps erupting over her skin at her every touch…

 

“this was amazing, cher. the best moment of my life…i need you to know that. and it’s all thanks to you.” toni whispers, tongue snaking out to capture the beads of sweat that fall down her neck as cheryl rests her cheek against the side of toni’s temple with a tired, shaky sigh.

 

“i feel the same way...” cheryl whispers back, and she can feel toni smiling against her skin before those sharp canines brush over her neck-

 

“deep breath, cher.” toni says softly, and cheryl inhales deeply before toni’s teeth finally break through the surface of her skin. 

 

cheryl grips the sheets beneath her tightly, curling into fists as she chokes on a loud moan, brow furrowed with pain, but toni brushes her fingers up and cheryl’s side, a grunt escaping the _culebra_ girl as her tongue laps over the wounds her teeth have created. 

 

cheryl finds herself letting out these soft moans without the ability to stop them, her body still buzzing from adrenaline, from arousal, from a million other things as she finds herself actually arching up into toni’s touch, causing toni to curl an arm beneath her body to lift her further into her, bodies pressed tight, cheryl’s head falling back against the pillow in exhaustion while toni continues to drink from her. 

 

cheryl moves her numb, shaking arms up to wrap one around toni’s waist, hands trailing up her spine while the other cups the back of her neck to hold her in place. it’s painful, sure, but the rush of it, the feeling is so different to anything she’s felt before when they’ve done this. she can’t explain it. her whole body feels like it’s floating on some adrenaline rushed high, the sounds escaping her completely involuntarily as toni digs her teeth in just a little deeper, the hand beside cheryl’s head curling into a fist-

 

finally, after what feels like _hours_ , toni pulls away, her lips brushing over the wound before she gasps and pulls back to look into cheryl’s eyes with complete and utter shock.

 

“oh my god…cheryl, it’s already healing.” toni breathes, licking her lips from the remnants of blood that cling to them as her eyes turn back to brown and her teeth slowly shrink back to normal size. 

 

cheryl feels that familiar sick feeling grip her stomach, and despite the fact that it isn’t as bad as it was before, her eyes still begin to darken around the corners, unconsciousness threatening to grip her as toni looks down at her with soft eyes.

 

“i’m sorry-.”

 

“shh…don’t be.” cheryl coos, reaching a hand up to brush away a spot of blood at the corner of toni’s mouth with her thumb, and toni looks down at it before she smiles and presses a kiss to it, gathering the drop of liquid between her lips before she brushes her fingers through cheryl’s hair comfortingly.

 

“i’ll be right here, cheryl. every single second until you wake up…” she whispers, her voice beginning to fade out, and cheryl only has one request as the darkness begins to take her.

 

“h-hold me, please…” 

 

and toni topaz, the girl who suffered so much for so long, the girl who hasn’t felt this alive in twenty years, leans down to press a kiss to full, pillowy lips as cheryl blossom fades into sleep, the two bite marks at her neck already healed, and at the sight, toni smiles before she presses another kiss to cheryl’s forehead and rolls over until she’s flat on her back beside cheryl, pulling the unconscious girl into her arms and holding her as close as possible as she does. 

 

“always, cher. always.”


	8. all she can do is scream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL WANTED AN EARLY UPDATE, SO YOU CAN'T BLAME ME FOR THIS, BUT IMMA RUN FROM NOW.
> 
> CONSIDER MY FLIGHT TO LIKE, GERMANY OR SOMETHING BOOKED.
> 
> DON'T KILL ME.
> 
> TWITTER IS @ENDOFDAYSFORME. ALSO THAT 3x15 SCENE, WHEW. THAT SHIT WAS FIRE.
> 
> AGAIN, DON'T KILL ME.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF BLOOD AND VIOLENCE

“veronica, come on, do we _have_ to?”

 

veronica lodge hesitates, her eyes on the sun that’s beginning to set over the horizon before she turns to the other girls with a shake of her head, already feeling the unease beginning to settle in her stomach.

 

it’s been a good day, but it’s time they get home. 

 

“guys, we need to get back to the academy. i promised miss blossom we’d be back before sunset.” she says firmly, crossing her arms over her chest as the other girls let out loud groans of disagreement, clearly not ready to let go of the day just yet.

 

“come on, veronica, we’ve got at least another half an hour until the sun sets, and we haven’t had a fun day out like this in so long!” ethel muggs groans, watching happily at sam giggling as tina rolls her eyes and flips her hair over her shoulder before she’s licking away at the ice cream cone in her hands.

 

“seriously, who died and made you supreme? certainly not miss blossom!” she scoffs, and veronica feels the jealousy coursing through tina’s body, finds herself smirking as she lifts an eyebrow and glares at her with an air of both smugness and anger at her defiance.

 

“i’m acting on miss blossom’s orders. she wants us back by sunset, so we’ll be back by sunset. we can have another fun day out soon, i promise, now move it!”

 

“ugh, what’s her damage? we used to go out for movie nights all the time and now we have to be back before the sun sets?” chloe grumbles, sinking back into her booth as veronica sighs and scratches at her brow absentmindedly.

 

“i don’t know the full story, but when she found toni, she discovered some things about some…creatures, dangerous creatures, living in riverdale. she just wants us to keep us safe, and she tasked me with that job, so i’m not about to let her down. come on!” 

 

“wait, what creatures?” ethel asks suddenly in surprise, eyes wide and filled with terror that has veronica immediately rushing to her side to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear with a reassuring smile.

 

“hey, it’s okay. we’re safe, all of us are. we have miss blossom, she’s not gonna let anything bad happen to us, alright? she’s the supreme…she’s the most powerful witch in the world. as long as we have her, we’re gonna be just fine. but part of that means following her orders, so…when i say we gotta go, it means we gotta go.” veronica says firmly, looking to the other girls as they exchange glances of concern and worry before she sighs and stands slowly, the girls quickly following suite. veronica grins triumphantly, feeling more than accomplished at how she’s managed to keep an eye on all of the girls today.

 

miss blossom looks to her and betty to set an example, being the oldest girls of the coven, and veronica’s not about to let her down. it’s not only her future as supreme that’s on the line here, but it’s also miss blossom’s trust in her, something veronica would rather die than lose. after everything that woman has done for them…she’s like the older sister veronica never had, the older sister a majority of the girls here didn’t have. 

 

“look, i’ll talk to miss blossom about…” veronica trails off, her eyes scanning over the girls as they all gather their things before she realizes there’s only eight of them before her.

 

someone’s missing. 

 

“wait…where’s betty?” she asks, panic immediately gripping her as she looks around the slightly crowded ice cream parlor for any sign of blonde hair and a ponytail.

 

where the hell is her best friend? she promised veronica she’d help her and yet she’s not even around-

 

“last i checked, she was still talking with that guy outside.” lily says simply, linking her arm with sam’s as veronica comes to a complete and utter _still._

 

for some reason, a chill she can’t explain runs up her spine. 

 

“what guy?” she croaks out. lily nods outside of the window, licking her ice-cream as she does, and veronica spins wildly on the spot to see betty leaning against the brick wall beside the window of the parlor, talking to an incredibly pale young man with a beanie over his head, this smile on his face that has a shiver that veronica can’t explain crawling up her spine-

 

“all of you stay here.” she mumbles before she runs straight for the door to the parlor, her heart racing for reasons she can’t explain as she throws the door open, causing betty to jump before she looks at veronica in surprise.

 

“betty? what-.”

 

“ronnie! come here, this is jughead! jughead…this is my best friend, veronica!” betty says excitedly, this smile on her face that has veronica’s expression softening as she looks to the boy with this look of adoration, and veronica cocks an eyebrow at her. 

 

_betty, betty, betty…always falling for the cute boys who bat their eyelashes at her…_

 

the boy smiles charmingly and holds his hand out for veronica to take. he has these striking blue eyes, and there’s a few curls of black hair beneath his beanie that poke out. he’s tall, and quite lanky, but regardless, there’s something about him that doesn’t sit well with the raven haired girl.

 

“nice to meet you.” he says, and at the sound of his voice, veronica, once again, feels something sinister crawl into her veins.

 

she’s only felt this once before. 

 

when miss blossom had taken them on a field trip similar to this one and a guy had been following them for a few blocks, this sinking, nauseous feeling gripping veronica’s gut and telling her that the man had no good intentions towards them. 

 

she feels that now. but veronica knows she can’t bring any attention to it, they need to slip away stealthily and quickly…

 

miss blossom had been there to protect them last time, but she isn’t here now… veronica has to be the one to protect them from whatever this young man has planned.

 

“uh…nice to meet you too.” veronica manages to get out, gripping the boy’s hand and trying her best to suppress the shudder that runs up her spine. she can’t hide the goosebumps that spread over her bare arms, however, and jughead glances down at them with a raised eyebrow before his lips curl into a smile. 

 

“jughead and i were just talking about maybe heading to the movies after this. what do you think, v?” betty says with a wide, foolish grin that has her best friend looking at her in complete and utter disbelief and slight rage.

 

“no, betty. we promised we’d be back before sunset, and i’m not about to disobey that just so you can run off with a pretty boy. no offence.” veronica grumbles, letting go of jughead’s hand and frowning when she notices the strange texture on the palm of her hand. she rubs her fingers together, doesn’t even pay attention to jughead saying something as looks down at the white globs of what looks like lotion…

 

her eyes move back over his hands, and it dawns on her that she’s gotten this from shaking hands with him. it’s on _his_ body.

 

“sunscreen. i burn easily in the sun.” jughead says with a wicked grin.

 

veronica simply stares at him, finally takes in his very pale appearance and the way the lotion makes him almost look like death. he’s practically slathered from head to toe in the stuff, and veronica can’t help but scoff, because even if he burns easily in the sun, he shouldn’t need _this_ much protection from it. that’s ridiculous-

 

_“i burn easily in the sun.”_

 

something seems to nag at the back of her mind, something she heard once before, either from miss blossom or someone else, and something recent too-

 

“so, what about it? you guys wanna watch a horror film? there’s a drive in nearby that’s to die for.” jughead says with a wide grin. 

 

“i’m sorry, but we have to go back home. maybe some other time.” veronica says simply, gripping betty’s hand in her own and moving to tug her away from the boy, but betty whines and pulls veronica back with a sigh.

 

“come on, ronnie! just a little longer-.”

 

“you know, you don’t have much say in the matter.” jughead says abruptly, and veronica looks at him with a scoff of disbelief, about to tell him to fuck right off before it hits her where she’s heard those words before-

 

_“alright girls, take a ten minute break. go soak up the sun a little, get your energy back.” miss blossom calls out softly, smiling as some of the girls jump up from the dining table where they’re practicing their magic and run straight to the back door of the kitchen in the next room with loud giggles and screams._

 

_“come on, toni, come outside to the yard with us!” veronica says with a wide grin, tugging slightly on toni’s hand and jumping up from the seat beside the brunette, but toni doesn’t move an inch. veronica looks down at her, frowning when she sees the woman wince before she shakes her head with a sad smile._

 

_“i c-can’t, ronnie. i…i burn really easily in the sun. it’s not a pretty sight.” toni says with a sigh, this look in her eyes that veronica doesn’t understand, and she’s about to argue when miss blossom walks over and grips her shoulder lightly with a sad smile of her own, her eyes cast down to toni with concern._

 

_“i’ll keep her company, veronica, don’t worry. go and have fun with the others.”_

 

veronica’s heart immediately begins to race, the dots connecting in her brain like fireworks.

 

toni said she was turned into a monster unwillingly…she burns easily in the sun like this boy does…he’s covered head to toe in large amounts of sunscreen and that goddamn feeling in her chest, in her gut, the one that tells her he’s up to no good-

 

veronica stumbles back despite herself, eyes wide, heart racing as she grips betty’s hand tightly.

 

oh god…oh god, this isn’t good, this isn’t good at all, they need to get back to the academy _right now-_

 

“ronnie-.” betty looks at her in complete surprise, but veronica shakes her head and tugs on her hand again desperately.

 

“we have to go. now, right now, get the girls-.” 

 

she spins around and is met with a blue and black blur before jughead is standing in front of her once more, betty gasping in surprise and stepping back, glancing behind her, trying to put two and two together as veronica looks into the parlor at the girls waiting for them with a choked out whine. jughead blocks veronica’s path back into the parlor with his arm, the grin on his face nothing but malicious as he reaches out to tuck a lock of hair behind veronica’s ear with a chuckle.

 

and veronica watches as his eyes turn golden, reduced to slits as the scales ripple over his face…

 

“sorry girls…but you’re not going anywhere.” 

 

\-----------------

 

cheryl’s obsessed.

 

she has no idea why, has never felt this kind of feeling before, but right now, with her lips pressing soft kisses over bare, golden tanned shoulders, all cheryl can think is that she’s obsessed.

 

and that she never, _ever_ wants this to end. 

 

toni simply holds the hands wrapped around her body, one of cheryl’s arms pinned beneath the space between toni’s neck and the mattress, wrapped around her chest and the other trailing gentle patterns over the sweat soaked skin of toni’s stomach, cheryl’s nose nuzzling into the back of her head and inhaling the aroma of shampoo mixed with sweat as she pushes herself as close to toni as possible.

 

toni chuckles and pulls the blankets up closer over their bodies to keep them warm, sinking into cheryl’s touch with a tired sigh as their legs entangle beneath the blanket. 

 

as soon as cheryl had woken up from the feeding, she hadn’t been able to resist. her body had still been buzzing with so much adrenaline despite being drained of blood, and toni, renewed with energy also from feeding on her, had felt the same way. 

 

it’s been _hours_ , and they’re both exhausted beyond belief, but the happiness running through the both of them is palpable. cheryl’s quite sure the male witches in the academy a few towns over must be able to feel the energy coming out of this room. 

 

they took it slow, had spent many minutes of those hours simply worshipping each other’s bodies, gentle kisses and caresses that had them both feeling a sense of safety they’ve never felt before, but eventually, cheryl lost count of how many times she’d been hit with wave after wave of pleasure, knows toni feels the same. cheryl knows she should be getting dressed, knows the girls should be showing up any minute now with the sun setting more and more by the second, but right now…she doesn’t want to move. 

 

she just wants to stay right here in this moment forever…

 

“cheryl?” toni croaks out, her voice hoarse from lack of use and from the consistent moans and cries of pleasure she’s been letting out for the last few hours, and cheryl simply hums against her skin, her own voice hoarse and throat dry as she continues kissing over any inch of toni’s skin she can reach.

 

“yeah, babe?” she rasps out, smiling at the affectionate nickname, unbeknownst to the fact that toni is almost smiling just at widely at the sound of it as she tilts her head to the side slightly until cheryl’s pressing kisses over her jawline and cheek softly.

 

“i really wish we could stay in this moment forever.” toni whispers, her eyes fluttering closed as cheryl’s lips move up to her temple, puckering into a tender kiss as they do. 

 

_god, how the hell did we even come to be? so alike, and so different at the same time…_

 

“me too.” cheryl whispers back against her skin, unable to contain her smile when toni breathes out with a soft laugh and slowly turns over onto her back with cheryl’s arm still wrapped around the back of her neck, hand moving down to her bicep to brush over the skin affectionately. 

 

toni simply stares at her for a few moments, her hand moving up to simply trace her fingers over cheryl’s jawline, this look in her eyes that cheryl’s never seen before.

 

“you’re so beautiful…inside and out, the most…god, the most _beautiful_ person i’ve ever met, cheryl blossom.” toni chokes out, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes as she swallows thickly, bottom lip trembling, but not with sadness.

 

the positive energy coming off toni as she utters those words is _astounding._

 

“and you, toni topaz…are worth this entire goddamn world. and i’ll spend however long you’ll have me trying to give it to you.” cheryl whispers, chuckling as toni lets out this soft whine before she curls her hand around the back of cheryl’s neck to bring her down for a kiss.

 

they simply kiss lazily for a few moments, fingers brushing over each other’s skin, drinking in this moment of quiet where they don’t have ten other teenaged girls living down the goddamn hallway with them, and when cheryl pulls back, she sees toni’s eyes flash golden before it disappears just as quickly as it came.

 

“are you hungry again?” cheryl asks with concern, and toni bites down on her bottom lip to hide her smile before she shakes her head.

 

“not at all…it happens when i get excited, too.” she breathes out, her cheeks turning red with shyness as cheryl laughs quietly and leans in to kiss the corner of her mouth. 

 

“i didn’t notice it while we were having sex, but i was a bit preoccupied to be honest. is it tied to your emotions?” she asks, pulling back and staring down at her in wonder. toni simply shrugs, purses her lips and nods once as her nails scratch at the back of cheryl’s neck absentmindedly.

 

“yeah, i’d say so. i think it’s some kind of defense mechanism…something to scare people off. but i’ve never learned to control it in this way before, cher. they only ever gave me enough blood to keep my eyes from turning gold while i performed so it wouldn’t tip…wouldn’t tip the humans off that something was odd. the second i was off that stage, i was starved.” toni rasps out, licking her lips and swallowing thickly as tears quickly well in her eyes.

 

cheryl ducks her head down and kisses away the ones that fall from the corners of her eyes, the salty taste making her sigh shakily against toni’s cheek before she kisses it softly and nuzzles her nose against toni’s as affectionately as possible.

 

it’s quiet for a few moments as cheryl pulls back and begins brushing her fingers through toni’s hair, eyes roaming over her perfect face, wondering just how in the world she got this lucky to win toni topaz’s heart…

 

“every time i…i think about it, about what they used to do to me…my chest gets tight and i feel like i can’t _breathe._ but with you…with you, i know you’ll never let anything bad happen to me, and that ache…it goes away, cheryl. i know i’m never going back there, and the warmth that fills me with…i can’t even describe it.” toni says in a low voice, tanned fingers idly playing with cheryl’s long pale ones, her eyes focused on them and avoiding cheryl’s, and the supreme gives her this moment of vulnerability, keeps her words to herself until she realizes, once toni swallows loudly and purses her lips, that she has nothing more to say.

 

so cheryl speaks up.

 

“i’m going to protect you, toni. however i can, in whatever way i can…being the supreme means protecting one and _all_ , not just those in my coven. look at me…” cheryl grips the brunette’s chin gently, forcing her gaze upwards as toni blinks rapidly to expel any other tears threatening to fall.

 

“you’re under _my_ protection.” cheryl whispers. toni’s lips tremble as she smiles, and she interlaces her fingers with cheryl’s before she brings them up to her lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles softly as she does.

 

“and you’re under _mine._ i swear to god…i’ll _die_ before i ever let _anything_ happen to you.” 

 

the words seem to hang unspoken in the air, and god, does cheryl contemplate saying them, but before she can, it starts to dawn on her that the sun is no longer bearing down on them and the room is no longer sweltering with the heat.

 

she frowns, glancing behind her at the open window and the curtains blowing with the breeze before this feeling of complete and utter _dread_ sweeps through her entire body.

 

_something’s wrong. something’s wrong, cheryl, something’s **wrong** -_

 

“cheryl? what is it?” toni asks immediately, propping herself up onto her elbows as cheryl continues staring at the window with her heart racing and her eyes narrowed in concern.

 

something’s out there…something’s happened, she can _feel_ it-

 

“cheryl?” toni says firmly, rubbing a hand up and down her arm, and the supreme simply turns back to her with a look of worry, the energy gripping her heart sending her into a downward spiral before she can stop it, because something is _fucking wrong._

 

“something’s wrong. something…oh god, the girls-.” cheryl jumps off the bed, immediately grabs her underwear and pulls them on before pulling her jeans on and grabbing her shirt and bra, and by the time she’s done, toni is fully dressed already, using her speed to get ready as quickly as possible as she pulls her hair out from under her shirt and reaches out to grip cheryl’s face in her hands.

 

“cheryl…cheryl, look at me! what are you feeling?” toni demands, staring into her eyes as cheryl begins to hyperventilate, the sweat at her brow dripping as she tries her best to just _breathe._

 

she can’t explain it, but something’s happened, she knows it has, her heart is racing so fast, clenching tight -

 

“i d-don’t know, something’s just _wrong-._ ” she manages to gasp out, her chest constricting more and more with each passing second as toni lets go of her face and grips her hand with a look of equal worry in her eyes.

 

“let’s go, come on.” toni murmurs, and before cheryl can say anything, toni drags her out of the room and down the stairs, the tears falling down cheryl’s cheeks blurring her vision as she tries to wrap her mind around this feeling that’s taken over her body, but she barely gets the time to, because toni is heading straight for the front door, where the feeling just gets worse and worse-

 

“we’ll go find the girls, okay? we’ll look through the whole town for them and-.”

 

toni throws the door open, steps out onto the porch and immediately hisses in pain from the last few rays of sunshine filtering over the horizon, and cheryl sees her blur past into the shadow of the porch, but her focus lands, instead, on the steps leading up to the house.

 

she doesn’t scream. not at first.

 

she kind of just… _stops._

 

her whole body just freezes in time, not wanting to take in what lays before her, not wanting to understand it, or comprehend it, or understand it, but one thing does register-

 

she wants to die.

 

she wants to bury herself into the ground, because this, this is not happening, her eyes are playing tricks on her, this can’t be real, no, no, no, _no-_

 

her knees buckle, her eyes water, and cheryl blossom feels her soul, her _heart_ completely and utterly _shatter._

 

she doesn’t even hear toni say her name, doesn’t hear anything except the ringing that sounds out in her ears as her eyes take in the sight in front of her, unable to descramble what toni is shouting at her. 

 

all that registers is the bodies strewn over the porch and the front yard.

 

ethel muggs, close to the gate…eyes wide and staring, throat covered in blood, with diana and and tina’s bodies thrown beside her, and god, there’s so much blood, there’s so much goddamn blood, all cheryl can see is red, mountains upon mountains of stark red blood-

 

sam and chloe, a few feet away, still and unmoving, white shirts no longer white, but red, staining the material forever, young fourteen year old girls with no future ahead of them as their bodies begin to grow pale, eyes glazed over, no longer seeing or feeling…

 

lily, and ginger and laura right near the steps, limbs twisted and bent in ways that have bile rising in the back of cheryl’s throat at the sight, her whole body swaying with dizziness before her eyes land on-

 

she screams.

 

and once she starts, she can’t stop.

 

the panic, the hysteria, the complete and utter chaos, the _grief_ , nothing registers into her brain, helps her come to terms with what she’s witnessing, but somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind does her body process that what she’s seeing isn’t anything _good._ but she can’t understand why, can’t bring it in her to pull it apart, can’t do anything, her brain is complete and utter fucking mush.

 

_all she can do is scream._

 

veronica’s eyes are completely lifeless, staring straight at her as blood stains the porch and drips down every inch of it, a trail of bodies, a trail of her coven, a trail of her _girls-_

 

cheryl can’t see, she can’t see anymore, but she’s scrambling forward, scrambling forward in complete and utter _desperation_ to reach veronica, to reach all of them, this isn’t true, she’s entered hell once more, she must have-

 

she reaches a trembling hand out blindly, makes contact with soft hair before she’s gripping cold shoulders and pulling veronica into her lap, refusing to think of her as a body-

 

she can fix this. she can, she can, she has the power to do this, she can fix this, she can bring them back, she can bring them all back, no, no this isn’t real, she can bring them back, it’s okay-

 

she’s shaking so hard, but she can do this, she can, she _has to-_

 

the sun’s rays are beginning to die out, and somewhere in the back of her mind does she register toni almost screaming at the sun to move down the horizon, but what does it matter? what does any of this matter when she has this young girl’s body in her arms-

 

_no, she’s not a body, i can bring her back, i can bring them all back, i can-_

 

“no…no, i c-can b-bring them b-back, i c-can…ronnie…come on, sweetie, wake up…w-wake up, come b-back to m-me…” 

 

she adjusts her hold on veronica, closes her eyes, refuses to open them, leans in close, lips inches away from veronica’s as she attempts to breathe new life into her, tears dripping down her chin onto veronica’s lifeless face as she tries to tap into the magic in her heart, but she can barely feel it, the grief gripping her too strongly-

 

no, she can fix this. she can fix this, she can, she can, she can bring them back, it’s not over, it’s not, it’s _not-_

 

she’s done this before, she did it during her test with the seven wonders, she brought that little pidgeon back to life, she can bring them back, she can, she’s the goddamn supreme, it’s not going to end like this, no-

 

veronica remains still beneath her, and cheryl feels the last of the fissures in her heart crack.

 

“n-no…n-no, v-veronica…w-wake up, honey, c-come on…c-come on, d-don’t d-do this to m-me-.” 

 

a gust of wind before the sound of skin sizzling echoes in her ear, but cold arms wrap around her chest as toni bites back a scream of pain and holds cheryl close, but the supreme shakes her head and pushes her back as the sun finally sets and the sound of toni literally _burning_ ceases, the girl sighing shakily, but giving cheryl her space as she continues to shake her head furiously, refusing to believe it, any of it.

 

“n-no! n-no, they’re not d-dead, i can b-bring them back-.” 

 

she bends down once more, brushing veronica’s blood stained hair back from her soft face and gripping her cold hand in her own as she bites back a whimper of anguish and tries so fucking hard to focus, to focus on what she needs to do-

 

_vitalum vitalis…come on cheryl, you know this, you do…_

 

she whispers the incantation under her breath, the latin words scrambled in her brain before she’s attempting to breathe new life into veronica once more, but when the young girl doesn’t stir in her arms, cheryl feels complete and utter defeat grip her.

 

she has nothing.

 

she has nothing left. she…she failed.

 

they’re gone.

 

oh god, _they’re gone-_

 

“cheryl? ch-cheryl, there’s a note…” 

 

toni’s voice sounds so distant, so far away, cheryl unable to even look anywhere other than at the long trail of bodies strewn over the front steps and yard. cheryl finds herself unable to talk, unable to think, or breathe, or _do_ anything.

 

she just…falls. right there beside veronica, eyes unable to tear away from her face, pale and lifeless as toni lets out a whimper of panic from somewhere off into the distance.

 

she…she was supposed to be their supreme, their sister, their mother, their protector, and…and she _failed them._

 

_they’re gone, cheryl…you failed._

 

“cheryl...” 

 

cold fingers wrap around her wrist before she’s being dragged up into a seated position, and she feels those cold fingers grip her face before her eyes meet chocolate brown ones filled with nothing but anguish, panic and pain.

 

and the next words she hears, cheryl feels any ounce of fight, any ounce of magic or happiness leave her, drained out of her body with three simple words.

 

“they have betty.” 

 

she tilts her head, not so much in confusion, but more in wonder, wonder over how those three words can take everything else that was left in her away from her, how those three words can stab her so quickly in the heart and leave her gasping for air-

 

_“they have betty.”_

 

she’s only sixteen…please, please, not her, anyone but her, this can’t be real-

 

they’re all dead. her girls are dead and betty is in danger, and cheryl is fucking _helpless_.

 

she failed them.

 

toni wraps her arms around cheryl, pulls her in for this hug that she can barely even feel, her whole body numb to everything around her as toni cries into her shoulder in despair for just a few moments before she’s sniffing and exhaling shakily into her ear.

 

“the…the n-note said that if i d-don’t go back to them in the next hour, th-they’ll kill her and c-come for you n-next.” 

 

toni’s voice is surprisingly calm, and even though cheryl finds herself unable to process what exactly toni is trying to say, one thing does seem to register.

 

why would they come for her next when they’ve already killed her?

 

god, she can feel veronica’s body getting colder and colder, she can’t _do this…_

 

“so…so, i’m gonna g-go b-back, cher, i’m…g-gonna bring b-betty home, okay? this is my f-fault, cheryl, it’s all m-my fault, but i’m gonna f-fix it. i’m gonna fix it, i’m gonna bring b-betty home...” toni manages to gasp out.

 

no…no, that doesn’t sit right with her, no, what…what is toni saying right now? why is her mind complete and utter mush-

 

veronica’s cold body beside her, lily and chloe and ginger and sam and ethel and diana and tina and laura…all their bodies thrown onto the ground like they were nothing but trash, like they weren’t young girls who didn’t deserve any of this, any of this at all-

 

they played no part in this. cheryl’s the one who took toni from them, cheryl’s the one who set f.p on fire, these girls were innocent, and now they’re _dead._

 

_they’re dead…_

 

_you failed them, cheryl. they’re dead because of you._

 

“it’s my f-fault, but i’m g-gonna go b-back, okay? they w-want me, and if they h-have me, they’ll leave you alone and they’ll let b-betty go. i’ll m-make sure they l-let her go, cher.” 

 

wait…

 

no…no, she can’t lose toni, not on top of everything else, no, please, not toni too-

 

“n-no-.” the word comes choked out, barely audible, and the sound of toni whimpering in her ear has her eyes squeezing shut as her chest squeezes and squeezes with panic, because toni can’t do this, she can’t, she can’t just leave, she can’t go back to them, cheryl promised her, she _promised_ her she would never go back-

 

they’ll hurt her. they’ll hurt her again, no, please-

 

“it’s the only way, cher…it’s okay. i’m…i’m sorry, i’m s-so fucking sorry, but it’s okay, i’m gonna f-fix this. i t-told you…your under my protection now, too.” toni whispers, her lips pressed against cheryl’s ear before she’s kissing her hair and hugging her close, and cheryl wants to fight this with everything in her, but she’s so…she’s so…

 

god, her head is so fucked right now-

 

she can hear this whimpering sound, this pathetic, whining noise as her fingers dig into toni’s arms, a slight shake of her head in protest before toni’s running her fingers through cheryl’s hair, thick tears streaming down her face as she kisses her brow.

 

“shh…cheryl, it’s okay, shh…”

 

oh…it’s _her_ making those noises.

 

_cheryl, you’re the goddamn supreme, do something! bring those girls back and go get betty-_

 

but why? she’s not the supreme, she’s _nothing_ , she can’t even bring her girls back, she _failed_ them, she’s nothing but a failure, her mother was right.

 

she couldn’t protect these girls, she can’t protect toni, she can’t do _anything right._ she’s a failure, and now…

 

her girls are _gone._ under her protection and now…dead. gone forever…

 

“you stay here, cheryl. stay where it’s safe, okay? i’m sorry, baby, i’m so sorry for everything...but i’m gonna bring betty back, i promise.”

 

toni goes to move, and cheryl clings to her like a goddamn lifeline, nails digging in so harshly, she almost draws blood, and it just makes her wince and tremble even more, because she promised toni she’d never hurt her and now she’s doing exactly that-

 

_you’re a despicable person, cheryl! you promise things to people and you **fail** them! that’s all you know how to do!_

 

why couldn’t they have just killed her instead? the pain would hurt so much less-

 

“d-don’t l-leave m-me, please-.” 

 

she’s being selfish…god, betty is in trouble, she’s stuck there and cheryl needs to get the fuck up and go and save her, but she can’t _move._ she can’t believe this is happening, her heart…her heart hurts so goddamn much-

 

toni pulls back and looks at her with tears falling down her cheeks and her bottom lip trembling, and the look of defeat in her eyes has cheryl’s entire world falling apart even more. every time she thinks it’s impossible for it to hurt more, new waves of pain hit her-

 

“cheryl…there’s no other way-.” she starts, but all too quickly, cheryl loses control.

 

how or why, she has no idea, but she just… _loses control._

 

“NO! NO, YOU C-CAN’T LEAVE, YOU C-CAN’T LEAVE, YOU C-CAN’T GO B-BACK, I P-PROMISED-.”

 

she’s hysterical, screaming and kicking and punching as toni grabs her flailing arms to stop her, eyes wide and terrified before she pulls cheryl close with a shake of her head, and cheryl grabs fistfuls of her shirt in a desperation to keep her as close as possible because she _can’t lose her too._

 

“okay! okay, i’m…i’m here, cheryl, i’m here…” toni reassures her, and cheryl finally… _finally feels everything._

 

the rush of emotions that hit her has her collapsing into toni with a scream of complete and utter _anguish_ , the agony of everything tearing her up inside, and she screams until her throat hurts and bile rises in the back of it, screams until every muscle in her body is pulled taut as she squeezes her eyes shut in order not to see the dead girls before her, the girls she promised to care for, her friends, her sisters, her _family-_

 

_you failed them, cheryl._

 

toni holds her throughout it all, doesn’t wince or scream back or do anything other than hold her, and cheryl’s so fucking caught up in her pain that she doesn’t notice the way toni’s hand slips into the pocket of her jeans to pull out the vial resting within, doesn’t even hear the glass shatter to the ground before the pungent smell of lavender and bergamot hits her nose-

 

the affect is instantaneous. cheryl’s screams turn into soft moans and sobs, her entire body just _collapsing_ further into toni’s touch as the brunette cups the back of her neck and sobs into her hair. cheryl’s eyes begin to haze over, memories of what was in that vial hitting her…

 

the potion…the potion they made this afternoon for her to get sleep-

 

_no…no, fight it, cheryl, fight it!_

 

“i had to…i’m sorry, cheryl, i’m so sorry, b-but if i d-don’t go back, they’ll k-kill you and betty and i…i _can’t_ let that happen…”

 

cheryl can’t lift her arms, they’re too heavy. can’t move her feet…even her head drops as if ten pounds has been added to it, her eyes already drooping closed as the darkness begins to consume her.

 

she feels her head tip back involuntarily, toni still holding her up, her vision blurred and unfocused as she’s forced to look up at the sky, dark clouds looming overhead, threatening thunder, not a single star shining-

 

toni’s face swims into sight for the briefest moment, and cheryl can’t help the choked out sob that escapes her.

 

because the look on toni’s face says it all.

 

this was all for nothing. this was all a silly attempt to fix a broken girl, to fix her mother’s mistakes, and she failed.

 

_she failed._

 

“n-no…wait, t-toni, p-please…” her words come out breathy and jumbled, eyes crossing as the sleep begins to settle into her veins, and she hears toni sniff before she’s brushing cheryl’s hair back from her face tenderly.

 

“i’m sorry…i’m so sorry, cher. sleep now…betty will be home by the time you wake up, i promise.” toni whispers, and the last thing cheryl feels before the darkness grips her is toni’s lips against her own, another sob escaping her as she realizes it’s the last time she’ll feel toni kiss her ever again.

 

_you failed her, cheryl. you failed everyone._

 

toni settles her on the ground as cheryl whimpers out a pathetic whine, begging her to stay.

 

“d-don’t go…pl-please don’t go…” 

 

the last thing she sees is toni moving away from her, her back turned to cheryl as she makes her way towards the gate without a backwards glance as cheryl watches her leave, completely and utterly helpless to stop her when the darkness swallows her body and mind.

 

and the last thing she thinks is that the sight of toni walking away from her and into danger without being able to stop her is the last crack, the last straw that well and truly breaks her heart to pieces beyond repair.

 

_you failed her, cheryl. you failed all of them._

 

"toni..."


	9. a heaven fueled daydream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE
> 
> read with caution as always! we're getting closer to the end of this story, whew, and i'm sorry for the last chapter but don't worry, everything will be okay!...mostly!
> 
> leave a comment or you can find me on twitter at @endofdaysforme! till next week!

for the last few weeks, toni topaz has been living in a heaven fueled daydream.

 

being rescued from the deepest, darkest pits of hell by a red haired angel, being nurtured and cared for when, for twenty goddamn years, she was nothing but tortured and abused and hurt over and over and over and over again, until she became nothing but a shell of her former self.

 

and yet…within such a short amount of time, did cheryl blossom give her a reason to come back, give her a reason to push forward and keep fighting…give her a reason to want to _live_ again. cheryl blossom gave her hope, gave her strength, gave her everything she’s been missing from the day she was kidnapped by penelope and forced into this life of misery.

 

she was _happy._

 

she should’ve known it would never last.

 

she’s been cursed for the last twenty years, and cheryl blossom saving her life didn’t change that.

 

she glares up at the neon sign of the pin up girl with tears falling down her cheeks, the lights flashing continuously and her heart pounding somewhere in her throat, but regardless, she clenches her fists and teeth and powers on.

 

she’s voluntarily returning to her own brand of hell.

 

and every goddamn nerve in her body is on fire, everything in her is telling her to turn back, to go back to cheryl, to comfort her and hold her and kiss her and tell her she’s so sorry, but then the image of veronica’s dead body flashes before her eyes and everything else just seems to fade.

 

because those girls are dead because of toni. because everything that’s happened since she came into cheryl blossom’s life is because of her. cheryl’s lost _everything_ because of toni.

 

but toni won’t sit by and watch her lose her life, too. the note said that they’d come for her next. and toni would rather die a hundred million times over and over than ever, _ever_ watch them do to cheryl what they did to her for twenty years.

 

it’s okay…it’s okay, everything’s fine-

 

_everything’s fine, toni. you can do this…you did this for twenty years, you can live through it again. just as long as cheryl stays **safe.**_

 

betty’s in there, too. god, poor, innocent betty, she didn’t do anything to deserve any of this…the thought of _her_ going through what toni went through for twenty years…

 

the thought of that young girl’s blond hair and bright smile has toni stepping up the stairs to her hell, each step filled with purpose, but also dread. 

 

_be brave…be brave, toni, i know you don’t want to do this, i know this hurts, but she’s so young…she doesn’t deserve this, you have to save her…do it for betty. do it for cheryl…_

 

she wishes she could stop the way she trembles. she wishes she could hold her chin up high and walk in with some sense of dignity and courage. she wishes she wasn’t so fucking scared right now. she wishes she wasn’t whimpering under her breath at the idea of what she’s about to do. she wishes so many different things…

 

she wishes…god, she wishes she was back at the academy with cheryl, underneath the covers of her bed, cuddled up and basking in each other’s presence as they kissed over and over and over again…she wishes she could maybe see cheryl smile one last time. she wishes she could go back in time and stop any of this from ever happening.

 

cheryl’s life has been ruined because of toni. because of her situation, and god, the guilt cripples her. toni wants to curl up into a ball and die, wants to rip her own heart out of her chest and just end it all, but betty is in there, she’s in there…

 

toni takes a deep breath in, her heart aching as the night sky finally settles around her. she stares at the door before her, not a single ounce of her wanting to walk in, but she thinks of betty, and she takes a deep, shaky breath in before she grips the handle with a trembling hand.

 

she’ll be the sacrificial lamb, she doesn’t care. she’ll throw herself back into torture and pain to save betty’s life, and as much as it scares her, as much as she wants to run and keep running…she throws the doors open. 

 

betty is a child. is sixteen, and doesn’t deserve any of this.

 

toni’s been through this before.

 

she can survive again. she can…she’ll hold on to her memories of cheryl, she…god, she can do this, she can, she can, _she can-_

 

she looks around the familiar bar, and her knees buckle.

 

_i don’t want to be here, no, no, turn back, toni, run, run, RUN-_

 

but right there, standing at the entrance, is sweet pea, eyes gleaming gold and wicked as he watches toni step in, this malicious grin taking over as he chuckles and claps his hands together, but toni’s eyes are on one thing and one thing only.

 

betty, tears falling down her cheeks with jughead standing right behind her, pointed teeth resting over her neck, scales shining beneath the dim lighting of the bar as f.p jones stands in front of them to the side with his arms wide open, a lopsided smile on his face as he takes in the sight of toni before him.

 

“there you are, antoinette! did you enjoy your month long vacation?” he crows, eyes shining golden as he looks behind him at jughead, who pulls away from betty and looks up at toni with a laugh, looking to his father with nothing but victory shining in his eyes.

 

“told you she’d come. she’s still got that heart of gold underneath it all. even after twenty years of us trying to beat it out of her.” he snarls, squeezing the back of betty’s neck and cackling when the girl whimpers loudly in panic, and toni sees so much terror in that poor girl’s eyes…

 

“it’s…it’s okay, betty. just keep breathing, sweetheart.” toni croaks out, looking to her with a sad smile to reassure her despite the pain in her own heart over the company she’s now been forced into.

 

she prayed…god, she prayed every single day that she’d never be back here again, and now she is…

 

“yeah, keep breathing, betty. keep that blood pounding through your body, nice and warm for us.” f.p teases, glancing back at her with a laugh as betty’s chin wobbles, her whole body trembling in jughead’s hold. 

 

the door slams shut behind toni, and she feels sweet pea come to a stop behind her, his body pressed against hers and immediately causing a shiver to run up her spine. but somehow, somewhere, deep inside her, toni finds it in her to shrug out of his touch with a growl of her own, glaring at him with nothing but hatred as he looks at her in surprise before he scoffs and looks up at f.p with an impressed nod.

 

“looks like antoinette got some fight in her during her time away!” he says loudly, laughing when f.p clenches his jaw in what looks like anger before he looks at toni with a wide grin.

 

“ah, we’ll knock it out of her in no time. won’t we, antoinette?” he says softly, but no less threateningly, that tone of voice one that toni has heard way too many times before as betty shakes her head and tries to step forward.

 

“no-.”

 

jughead snarls and pulls her back by her hair, fist tangled in the blond roots and his teeth moving to her neck once again as toni hisses under her breath and rushes forward in her anger, but she stops only a few steps in and holds her hands up in surrender, desperate to get jughead away from betty, she has to get him away from her…

 

“don’t hurt her! just…you have me, let her go! she’s just a kid, f.p.” toni pleads, tears welling in her eyes as betty begins to sob loudly, looking to toni with nothing but fear as f.p rolls his eyes and shakes his head, dropping it in what looks like disappointment.

 

“oh, antoinette…you spent twenty years with us and you still don’t know how we work.” he sighs, resting his hands on his hips and chuckling as he looks to jughead, who grins as he brushes betty’s hair back from her face with a single finger tracing across her cream colored skin tenderly, but with this threatening undertone that has a shiver running up toni’s spine.

 

she’s been on the receiving end of those supposedly tender moments from jughead before…

 

“i like her, dad. we can keep her, can’t we? make her my little pet…” he coos, tucking her hair behind her neck as she trembles and tenses up, trying to inch away from his touch with this look of disgust for just a moment before the situation she’s in seems to catch up with her once again.

 

“please, please let me go!” she squeaks out, her fists clenched tight and her eyes squeezing shut as if she’s trying to channel some form of bravery while jughead simply laughs in her ear and looks up at sweet pea with a sadistic grin.

 

“let you go?! but we’ve only had antoinette for entertainment for twenty years, we’d like to…expand our horizons.” sweet pea says, his voice slowly becoming louder until it’s right by her ear, and before she can even think about moving, his arms wrap around her chest tightly while he nuzzles into the side of her neck, so different, so fucking different from the way cheryl did just hours ago…

 

toni tenses up, a million memories of times she’d rather die than remember hitting her, but she stays brave, inches her head away from his burrowing nose and looks at f.p pleadingly.

 

“f.p, please…you’ve got me. i’m here, no supreme, no other witches, it’s just me. you have me…forever and ever, i’ll n-never leave again, you have my word. you…” 

 

toni swallows the lump in her throat, tries to keep her emotions at bay, to stay strong for betty more than anything, but the words come out shaky and exhausted regardless as she closes her eyes and exhales as best she can, her next words causing her heart to ache with a pain she can’t explain.

 

“you can do whatever you want to me. just let betty go, please. i’m…i’m yours.” toni watches as f.p stares at her carefully, golden eyes drinking her in for several moments before he looks to sweet pea right behind her and nods. the boy grunts in disapproval before his arms tighten around her for just the briefest moment, as if trying to tell her she’s lucky he’s not doing worse as he lets toni go and shoves her forward. toni stumbles over her own feet, her whole body shaking as she brushes away the stray tears falling down her face rapidly and slowly, carefully…begins to make her way over to f.p, the last goddamn person on earth she ever, ever wanted to walk towards, in this life and every life since the day he took her...

 

_do it, toni…just do it, betty, god, betty, get her home, just get her home…_

 

she makes her way forward on shaky legs before she swallows the bile rising quickly in the back of her throat, the thought of what she’s about to do making her want to curl up into a ball and cry, but regardless, she comes to a stop in front of f.p, her shaking hands reaching up to cradle the older man’s face in them as tenderly as she can, and fuck, despite those cold, golden eyes staring back at her…all she can think about is cheryl.

 

all she can think about is her warm smile, and her bright brown eyes filled with so much affection and care, her selflessness, her bravery…

 

the way she had screamed as she held a dead veronica lodge in her lap, the way those tears had fallen down her cheeks, the way that light in her eyes that toni adored so much had begun to dim with each passing moment as she stared at the bodies of her dead coven, her girls, her _sisters…_

 

god, she wants to hurl, wants to thrust her hand into this man’s chest before her and rip his heart out for all the pain he’s caused them both, but she knows jughead will tear betty’s throat to shreds if she poses even the slightest threat to his father. even now, the boy is clutching betty tightly, his teeth hovering over betty’s throat as he watches each step toni takes cautiously.

 

and with one last glance at betty’s terrified eyes, toni looks up into f.p’s golden ones and utters the last words she ever, ever wanted to say to this man before her.

 

“i’m _yours_ , f.p. forever…just let betty go, please let her go…you have me, you got what you wanted, it’s over. let her go…” toni whispers, looking into his golden eyes with nothing but sincerity, trying to instill in him the truth: that this is it. he got what he wanted…she’s here, and she’s never leaving ever again.

 

_your own personal brand of hell…_

 

and clearly, it must convince him, because f.p sighs, those golden eyes softening for only a single goddamn millisecond before he grips toni’s waist and pulls her closer, toni’s breath hitching in panic at the movement as her chest collides with his, one of his large hands moving up to tangle into her brown locks from the back.

 

he grabs a fistful of her hair before he’s tugging on it harshly, and toni bites back a whimper of pain, eyes squeezing shut as his nose skims across her jawline, and this time, the restraint she puts into stopping herself from well and truly vomiting is _astounding._

 

_oh god, oh god, i’m gonna be sick, please, please stop, no more-_

 

“willingly this time, right, antoinette? no more running off with witches, no more trying to escape like you have so many fucking times before…you’re here until the day i get bored of you and kill you, understood?” he growls, hand gripping the back of her neck to keep her in place, nails digging into her caramel skin as toni chokes on the bile in her throat and nods furiously.

 

“y-yes! y-yes, i sw-swear! just let her g-go…let her go, and p-promise me you’ll leave them alone, and i’ll n-never leave again, i swear to you…i’m yours forever.” toni gasps out, her hands flailing just a little with the pain he’s causing at the base of her skull before they settle on the lapels of f.p’s jacket. the man hums in her ear with what sounds like delight, something that causes her stomach to turn before he tightens his hold on her and turns to face jughead with a sigh.

 

“you heard her. she’s sticking around for the long haul. we got what we wanted…let the girl go back home.” 

 

toni can’t hold back the whimper of relief that escapes her, a little in disbelief that f.p is actually entertaining the idea of letting betty go when suddenly, f.p’s hand grips the back of her neck _very, very tightly_ , her knees buckling from the pressure of it as jughead glares at his father and clenches his jaw with his own golden eyes shining with defiance.

 

“but she’s _pretty_ -.”

 

“i said let her go!” f.p roars, his canine teeth growing as he snarls at his son, the grip he has on toni almost squeezing the light out of her as she flinches and gasps for air from the pain. jughead cowers, his lips pursing before he looks at betty with nothing but lust and hunger.

 

_oh god, please…please, jughead, let her go…_

 

the boy scoffs before he grunts like a petulant child who’s had their favorite toy taken from him before he growls and lets her go, throwing her forward onto her knees harshly as the girl squeals in fear.

 

“fine…but it’s a waste.” he grumbles, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking up at his father with his jaw clenched in anger, but toni’s focus shifts to betty.

 

betty, who cries out in hysteria before she attempts to scramble to her feet, and toni tries to move forward, but f.p tugs her back by his hold around her neck aggressively, causing toni’s breath to hitch before she looks to him pleadingly.

 

“she’s scared. let me say goodbye, please…please, f.p…” she breathes out, watching with bated breath as the man pokes one of his canines with his tongue before he finally, _finally_ , uncurls his hand from around the back of her neck.

 

toni doesn’t hesitate. she runs straight for the blonde girl, reaches out and grips her elbow to help her onto her feet, and betty bursts into tears and throws her arms around her with a loud sob, her fingers clutching the back of toni’s shirt desperately.

 

“n-no! you c-can’t stay here, t-toni-.”

 

“shh, it’s okay. it’s okay, betty, as long as you’re safe.” toni whispers softly, squeezing her tightly and burying her face into betty’s shoulder, knowing that once she walks out of that door, betty will be safe from harm, and toni will be all alone in the snake pit once more-

 

“i c-can help, i c-can use my powers-.” betty whispers into her ear as discreetly as possible, but toni squeezes her again with a firm shake of her head against her neck, her lips moving up to brush against betty’s ear so she can murmur softly without f.p hearing them.

 

“no. they’ll kill you before you can do anything, just…just go home, betty. go home and tell…” toni can’t get the words out, her throat constricting before she can do anything before they’re suddenly tumbling out of her at top speed.

 

“tell ch-cheryl i’m sorry, i’m so sorry, and t-tell her n-not to come for me, okay? tell her that i w-wish…i w-wish we had more t-time.” 

 

toni’s tears fall before she can stop them, her heart clenching tightly as she tries to instill the memories of cheryl into her brain, burn them deep into the recesses of her mind so she’ll never forget the beauty of her…that smile, those lips, her _eyes…_

 

betty sobs into her ear, refusing to let her go for almost a full two minutes, and toni almost doesn’t want to let her go, either, because here she is…her last connection to cheryl that will ever exist in her life, but betty is scared, and toni can practically _feel_ f.p getting impatient behind her, so toni grips betty’s arms and pulls her off her body slowly. 

 

she contemplates telling betty about the other girls, but she knows if she does that betty will lose all the fight left in her, and she needs her to run right now, she needs her to keep fighting…she needs her to _get the fuck out of here._

 

“it’s okay…g-go, betty. run as fast as you can.” she whispers, giving her one last tight hug, but discreetly managing to slip her hand between their bodies to reach into her pocket for the small vial that contains the potion that she made with cheryl this afternoon, the potion that causes explosions.

 

just in case…just in case they decide to go back on their word…

 

she slips it into betty’s pocket with a smile before she pulls back and looks into betty’s eyes, trying to convey to her what it was, and betty, god bless her, despite how terrified she is right now, doesn’t give away what she’s done by glancing down at her pocket or even acknowledging what toni’s just done. she just stares into toni’s eyes with nothing but despair before she purses her lips and nods bravely, a small nod to let her know she’s ready. toni brushes betty’s tears away with her thumbs before she leans in to press a kiss between her eyes, and betty exhales shakily against her before she pulls away and looks at toni with a trembling bottom lip.

 

“it’s gonna be okay. go, betty…” toni croaks out, nodding reassuringly and finally taking a step back away from the girl, and betty whimpers and almost reaches out for her before she looks to the entrance longingly, which is blocked by none other than sweet pea.

 

toni clenches her fist, is completely prepared to run straight for him-

 

“move, boy! i said we’re letting her go.” f.p barks viciously, and sweet pea stares at him for a long time before he uncrosses his arms from his chest with a roll of his eyes. 

 

“got it, boss.” he sighs before he steps aside and sweeps his arms towards the door gallantly, like he’s some fucking gentlemen, the scumbag-

 

betty rushes straight toward it, the sound of her boots clacking on the brick floor echoing out around the quiet bar before she’s gripping the handle and throwing the door open, and she looks back at toni one last time in distress before she runs out as fast as she can, the door swinging shut behind her not a moment later. 

 

and toni feels her whole body relax, this weight she can’t explain lifting off her shoulders as she closes her eyes and smiles, because despite the horror she’s bound to relive in the next few minutes, for now…for now she can breathe easy.

 

_she’s safe…betty’s safe…_

 

“what do you say, antoinette? should we give her a five minute headstart? or ten?” 

 

_oh god…oh god, please no-_

 

toni’s heart sinks, pounds in her chest painfully, and she looks at f.p in anguish, this soft whimper in plea escaping her, but he ignores her completely, looks to sweet pea with nothing but wickedness pouring from every inch of him.

 

the look in his eyes…this man has no soul, no heart-

 

“make sure it hurts.” he says quietly. 

 

sweet pea grins, laughs and turns towards the door, and he’s barely gripped the handle before toni taps into something she’s always been too afraid to let consume her.

 

anger.

 

“NO!”

 

she’s running straight for sweet pea before f.p or jughead or anyone can stop her, and without thinking of the consquences of her actions, she grabs him by the lapels of his jacket and throws him against the wall, watches him crumple to the floor before she’s jumping on top of him, the scales of a snake rippling over her face, teeth snapping and the harshest growl escaping her-

 

_kill him, destroy him-_

 

without hesitation she digs the nails of her thumbs into his eyes-

 

sweet pea screams in pain beneath her, writhing in anguish as his arms and legs flail, and all it dos is make her dig her nails in harder until blood is oozing beneath her nails and trailing over sweet pea's face, some of it gushing out too quickly for toni to avoid as it hits her face, but she barely flinches as she all but rips his eyes out-

 

she’ll kill him, she doesn’t care what punishment she gets as a result, she'll tear him limb from limb-

 

toni feels a rough hand curl into her hair, gripping harshly before she’s being thrown back off sweet pea’s body and across the room without control.

 

she slams into the bar top back first, the pain ripping through her like fire as she collapses to the ground with a groan of pain. f.p’s loud laughter mingles with the sound of sweet pea howling in agony, and toni looks up, eyes swimming with tears and dizziness as sweet pea rolls around on the ground, clutching his bleeding face while f.p watches him with nothing but amusement.

 

sweet pea is one of his confidants, but still…it’s like the man gets off on seeing people in pain, the sick son of a bitch-

 

“wow! now that’s the kind of fight we’ve been waiting for you to get back for twenty years now! i’ve gotta say…”

 

she doesn’t even get the chance to catch her breath before f.p’s rushing to her side and dragging her up to her feet by her hair once more, and toni whimpers in pain as he grips the back of her neck and holds her close, back pressed to his chest as that hand around her neck curls to the front of it to grip her throat and his hot breath against her skin causes a shiver to run up her spine.

 

“i _missed_ this side of you, antoinette.” he purrs into her ear, and before toni can do anything, move away from him, try to run, try to escape, he’s tangling a hand into her hair once more and dragging her across the bar as she does her best to fight him off, but it’s useless.

 

the man is a thousand years old, the original _culebra_ , she has no hope against him-

 

“give sweet pea some blood, get him nice and healed up so he can chase the girl! and jughead…keep your ass inside this bar, you hear me?!” f.p roars out, and toni only vaguely hears jughead’s grumble of agreement, her head fucking pounding and her body buzzing with adrenaline and fear before f.p’s kicking the door that leads to the back room in and dragging toni into it, the girl whimpering with each step he takes away from her freedom: the front door.

 

_it’s over, god, it’s over-_

 

he takes her to the left, and toni screams and kicks and fights, because that room, not that room, not the basement, please, please, _please-_

 

“no, w-wait, f.p, please!”

 

f.p kicks the door open with a growl before he grabs toni with both hands and throws her down the stairs, the girl tumbling down each step and feeling each one as it connects with her body painfully before she’s sprawled at the bottom of the staircase, her whole body screaming in agony as she tries to push herself up on trembling hands-

 

a leg kicks out and connects with her ribs, and toni falls onto her back with a groan of pain, the tears in her eyes falling quickly as the world begins to spin around her violently-

 

it’s all too familiar…it’s all too fucking familiar…

 

f.p grabs her by the wrist and drags her across the concrete, toni unable to do anything to fight him with how badly her body _aches_ , the scratching of the concrete against the skin of her back causing her to whimper with pain. before she can even gather her surroundings, can attempt to swing a leg around to kick him off her or do _something_ to get away from here, f.p’s throwing her into the corner of the room and clamping the shackles she had become so accustomed to over her wrists once more, the chains rattling and making toni gag as bile rises in her throat-

 

_no, no, this can’t be happening, please, i wanna go back home, i wanna go back to cheryl-_

 

“you really think i’m just gonna let that witch bitch go after she took my most prized possession? a whole month without you, antoinette, and you think i’m just gonna let that red haired _whore_ off with a warning? jughead killed her girls, sweet pea’s gonna kill that little blonde and _i’m gonna drain cheryl blossom dry._ ” f.p hisses into her ear, gripping her hair and forcing her to look up at him with those golden eyes so menacing, and toni can barely see through the tears that fall down her cheeks as f.p’s words process through her mind.

 

_cheryl…oh god, cheryl, no, no, please-_

 

“NO! NO, F.P, PLEASE-.” 

 

toni’s silenced by a hand striking her across the face roughly, her cheek burning as she sucks in a sharp breath, her vision whiting out until f.p grips her chin and glares down at her with his golden eyes shining with rage.

 

“SHUT UP! i’m gonna _make_ you watch me kill her as punishment for leaving! you have no one to blame but yourself, antoinette!” 

 

toni spits in his face, kicks her feet wildly at him and tugs on the chains, feels them give a little from her strength, and hope unlike anything she’s ever felt floods through her, that maybe, just maybe she still has a chance-

 

f.p grabs her by the throat and squeezes the air right out of her lungs, toni’s eyes widening as she gasps for air desperately before f.p grips her hair and tugs her face to the side, exposing her neck to the open air.

 

“i’m gonna drain you dry, and then…i’m gonna drain _her_ of every ounce of blood in her body while you watch me do it.” he hisses, and before toni can even breathe, f.p’s snarling and sinking his teeth right into her neck, breaking through the skin as if it’s paper.

 

and the pain that explodes through her body has toni screaming and thrashing beneath him helplessly, her wrists straining against the shackles as f.p drinks every inch of strength left in her body, the corners of her eyes darkening with each passing second no matter how hard she tries to fight it, and all she can think about is red hair and a beautiful smile, and how she can’t do anything to stop f.p from going after her next…

 

_cheryl…_

 

\---------------

 

“cheryl? girl, wake your ass up, come on!”

 

a light slap to her face, right over her cheek throws cheryl blossom straight into consciousness, the red haired supreme wincing before she slowly blinks her eyes open, her vision blurred and her mind hazy as she groans at the headache that pounds behind her eyes.

 

she lifts her hand, covering her eyes from the blinding light shining above her before warm fingers grip her wrist and pull her hand away from her face, a sigh of frustration echoing out around her-

 

she blinks rapidly a few more times, feels the soft cushioning beneath her body before she looks up, and, to her complete and utter surprise…

 

josie mccoy looks down at her, eyes wide with concern before she lets out a sigh of relief and pulls cheryl up into a seated position slowly by her wrist once more, cheryl’s mind still spinning wildly.

 

“oh, thank god…you had me thinking papa legba took you down to the deep unknown.” she murmurs with a frown, pulling cheryl into her arms and hugging her close, and cheryl feels the confusion beginning to take over, her eyes roaming over the room she’s in as her vision finally begins to correct itself.

 

the drawing room of her home, of her academy, where she’s sitting on the red velvet couch in the back of the room, josie’s arms wrapped around her-

 

everything hits her all at once.

 

_the girls… **toni…**_

 

cheryl whimpers, the memories rushing through her mind of what happened right before she lost consciousness as she clutches josie tightly with nothing but despair slowly gripping her.

 

the girls are dead. and toni is gone.

 

all her girls spread over the front yard, eyes wide and staring and toni…toni smashing the potion they made this afternoon to the ground, lulling her into a sleep as she watched toni walk away, helpless to stop her…

 

she’s lost everything. her girls are dead, toni went back to that…that hellhole, she failed her completely, she…she promised her she was going to bring her magic back to her, and she _failed_ -

 

“cheryl…what happened? the girls-.”

 

“they got to th-them. they k-killed them and th-they took toni-.” cheryl manages to gasp out as she clutches josie close to her body, and the voodoo witch pulls back, ignoring cheryl’s whimper at the loss as she looks at her in confusion.

 

“toni? who’s toni?” she says, and cheryl fights back a wail and shakes her head, because josie isn’t _listening-_

 

“antoinette! th-they took her, j-josie-.”

 

“okay, shh, calm down, cheryl! look at me!” josie grips cheryl’s face into her hands, forcing her to look into her eyes as cheryl gasps in a multitude of shuddering breaths, unable to breathe at all after _everything_ that’s happened-

 

“cheryl, i pulled up to a driveway covered in blood and it took every ounce of magic i had to drop the protection around the house so i could get in, and what i found…all of the girls were laid out on a rug in the dining room and you were in here. so i need you to take a few deep breaths in and tell me what the hell happened because i’ve spent the last half an hour trying to wake you up and wrap my mind around all of this.” josie says somewhat calmly, her hold on cheryl’s face tightening just a little before she brushes cheryl’s tears away tenderly and waits patiently for her to calm down just a little.

 

but cheryl realizes that she’s inside the house when the last time she was conscious, she was outside on the porch, and if the girls are in the dining room…

 

_toni…toni moved us inside…she moved us into the house before she left to keep us safe, oh god…_

 

the thought has cheryl wanting to curl up into a ball and cry until she has not an ounce of water left in her, but instead, cheryl does her best to take some deep breaths in before she looks at josie and manages to choke out the words that get caught in her throat.

 

“the g-girls went out for the d-day and i t-told them to b-be back by sunset, and i…i w-was upstairs with t-toni and i could _feel_ it, i could f-feel that something was _wrong_ , so we came downstairs and they…they were all on the p-porch, d-drained of b-blood, it was f.p, he k-killed them, all of th-them-.”

 

cheryl breaks down, unable to keep going because of the panic that’s beginning to grip her now that the effects of the potion have fully faded as josie’s eyes widen more and more with horror the more cheryl tells her, and the voodoo witch blinks back tears as she pulls cheryl into her embrace once more, rubbing her back consolingly while cheryl sobs into her shoulder.

 

“th-they have b-betty, josie! and t-toni went b-back to them to s-save her, she’s gone, and b-betty could be d-dead, too-.”

 

“cheryl, breathe, just breathe!” josie croaks out, pulling back again and brushing cheryl’s hair away from her tear stricken face as she takes in shuddering gasps of air that do nothing to help her, because all she can think about is the fact that toni has gone back to her abusers and one of her girls is in danger and she’s just _sitting here-_

 

“i h-have to go, i h-have to s-save b-betty-.”

 

“cheryl, you can’t go like this, you need to calm down, focus your magic!” josie exclaims, tugging her back down before she can even attempt to get up, but cheryl shoves her back and jumps up from the couch, rushing towards the front door, not wanting to step into the dining room to see the destruction-

 

she needs to do this, she needs to get to that bar-

 

_save betty, save toni, kill every single last one of those monsters-_

 

she throws the door open-

 

and betty cooper stands before her, covered in sweat with tears dripping down her slightly blood covered face as she whimpers and looks at cheryl with nothing but terror-

 

“MISS BLOSSOM!”

 

betty lunges into her arms, and cheryl collapses to the ground with a loud sob of relief, holds betty close to her body as the blonde girl clings to her tightly, the both of them crying and crying, clutching each other for life.

 

_she’s alive…she’s alive, you didn’t fail all of them, oh thank you, thank you, thank you-_

 

one is still alive. it’s just one, but god, it’s at least one of them, betty, little betty cooper-

 

“t-toni, sh-she’s stuck th-there, we h-have to h-help her-.” 

 

“shh, shh, let me look at you!” cheryl pulls back, grips betty’s face in her hands and looks her over as she attempts to swallow the bile in the back of her throat at betty’s words. there’s not a mark on her, only a bit of blood that makes cheryl whimper, but god, her face is pale and she looks the most terrified cheryl has ever seen in her since she’s known her, and the sight of it tugs at her heart strings tightly, but she brushes betty’s tears away and pulls her into her arms once more, pressing a kiss to her hair as she does.

 

she’s safe now…she’s safe, that’s all that matters…

 

“jughead ch-chatted me up as soon as w-we go to the ice-cream p-parlor, and i th-thought he liked me and v-veronica tried to get us away, but he knocked me out and th-the next thing i kn-knew i was at that b-bar-.”

 

“shh, shh, it’s okay! it’s okay, betty, you’re safe now, i promise! god…god, thank you, th-thank you, i h-haven’t lost all of you yet…” cheryl whimpers, fresh tears falling down her face as betty grips the back of her shirt like a lifeline, her tears staining cheryl’s shirt-

 

“wh-what do you mean ‘lost all of you’?” betty chokes out, pulling back and looking at cheryl in confusion. cheryl bites back a scream of anguish, shakes her head and whines as she swallows the bile in the back of her throat, knowing betty’s friends, her best friends, her _sisters_ are just in the room next to her, their bodies cold, but josie suddenly moves out of the living room at the sound of their commotion and rushes towards them, bending down next to them and reaching out to touch betty’s shoulder as cheryl simply holds her close…

 

“betty…this is going to upset you, but cheryl’s going to fix it, okay? the other girls…the other girls, they didn’t make it.” josie says hoarsely, and cheryl can’t see her face, but the shakiness in her voice tells her josie is crying…

 

betty sways slightly on the spot, this choked out whine escaping her, and cheryl looks up at josie in defeat, her heart aching as she shakes her head and grips betty’s hand in her own, squeezing it tightly to give her some form of strength, whatever strength she has left in her-

 

“i t-tried, josie…it didn’t work, i tried so hard to b-bring them back-.”

 

“not hard enough. you were in shock, and now you’ve come to terms with it. so now it’s time to get your shit together and go bring those girls back.” josie says firmly, nodding towards the dining room. betty’s face turns a delicate shade of green, and god, cheryl wishes she could say something to reassure betty that everything is going to be okay, wishes she could believe josie’s words, but it’s _hard._

 

she couldn’t save them before, she’s a failure-

 

“i…i c-can’t, i failed th-them-.”

 

“you’re failing them by wallowing in your grief and letting them stay dead! listen to me!” josie grips cheryl’s face suddenly, her eyes blazing with anger and determination as she clenches her jaw and nods fiercely.

 

“you’re cheryl goddamn blossom! you’re the supreme! you’re the most powerful goddamn witch in the world, so if you don’t get up off this ground, go into that dining room and bring those girls back to life, then you know what? you _are_ a failure!” josie growls, pinching cheryl’s cheeks lightly as the girl takes in a few shuddering breaths with a soft whimper.

 

she’s too weak…too weak…

 

“i…josie, i c-can’t-.”

 

“you _can._ pull yourself together, focus your magic, you have the goddamn _seven wonders resting inside you._ focus…and go bring those girls back.” josie says passionately.

 

cheryl looks to betty, sees the girl still staring straight ahead in complete shock, eyes wide and filled with grief, and cheryl swallows the lump in her throat at the sight before she leans forward and presses a kiss to betty’s brow.

 

she has to try…just one last time, she has to try-

 

“stay here with josie, don’t come into the dining room. i don’t want you to see them like that.” cheryl whispers against her skin, and betty whimpers and grips cheryl’s shirt tightly between her fingers before she nods and collapses into josie’s side, the voodoo witch holding her close and looking to cheryl with a shaky sigh and a determined nod.

 

“you’ve got this, red.” she whispers. 

 

cheryl slowly pushes herself up on shaking legs, wipes away the tears staining her cheeks and turns to face the double doors that lead into the dining room.

 

she can’t let it get to her…whatever she sees in there, she can’t let it get to her, because she’s going to bring them back.

 

josie’s right…she’s the supreme. she can _do this._

 

cheryl pushes the doors open, tries to ignore the sound of betty’s quiet sobbing behind her as she steps inside.

 

she feels like collapsing.

 

all nine girls are spread out over a rug beside each other, all of their eyes now closed and their hands resting on their stomachs, and if it wasn’t for all the goddamn blood, cheryl would think they were simply sleeping…

 

but there’s still blood matting their hair and skin, ghostly pale now in death, and cheryl licks her lips and swallows the lump in her throat before she exhales shakily and makes her way towards veronica.

 

toni laid them to rest like this…oh god, toni-

 

“focus, cheryl…please focus.” she whispers to herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath in before she opens her eyes, whimpering as she stares down at the raven haired girl, her most promising student, but more than that…her _friend._ her _sister._

 

_bring her back, cheryl…bring her back._

 

cheryl falls down to her knees, reaches a hand out to run her fingers through veronica’s hair before she’s leaning in close until her lips are inches away from veronica’s.

 

“i’m going to bring you back…”

 

cheryl focuses every ounce of her magic, every ounce of her spirit, of her _life_ into this one moment, and she cradles veronica’s face into her hands, ignores the tears falling down her cheeks and splashing onto veronica’s face before she slowly, gently…breathes out.

 

she murmurs the incantation under her breath, breathing out once more until there’s no life left in her lungs and her chest is constricting with the need for air-

 

_oh god, the magic…the magic, i can feel it-_

 

it floods her, this energy spreading throughout her entire body, and all of it, all of it she pours into veronica-

 

veronica’s body twitches, and cheryl feels her own heart squeeze before the girl’s eyes fly open-

 

cheryl jumps back with a cry of shock just as veronica sits up wildly, gasping in these shuddering breaths and looking around with a cry of terror as cheryl grips her face again and forces her to look into her eyes.

 

“veronica! look at me, look! it’s cheryl! it’s me, it’s okay! it’s okay, oh god…oh god, it worked, it worked!” cheryl doesn’t even bother holding in her sobs of relief, pulls veronica into her arms as the girl grips her hands, her eyes still wide with shock, and cheryl tucks veronica’s head into her neck to stop her from looking at the other girls, she doesn’t want her to see them like this…

 

oh god…she did it, she really did it, she can save them, she can bring all of them back-

 

“listen t-to me, everything’s going to b-be okay, don’t look at the other g-girls, i’m going to bring them b-back, shh…” cheryl rambles, unable to stop herself, and veronica whimpers against her before she pulls back and looks up into cheryl’s eyes with confusion.

 

“what…what happened-.” she tries to choke out, and cheryl shakes her head and presses a kiss to her brow.

 

“a nightmare. but i’m taking us out of it, shh…i have to bring the other girls back, just face the wall, veronica.” the raven haired girl swallows thickly before she nods and faces away from the other girls beside her, ever the obedient student, staring at the fireplace as she draws her knees up to her chest and hugs them, and cheryl knows she’s not okay, but she needs to focus, she needs to tap into this energy inside her right now, she needs to bring the other girls back…

 

she moves onto diana beside veronica, then onto ethel, onto tina…lily, ginger, sam, laura, chloe, all of the girls…

 

cheryl’s on the verge of collapsing by the time each girl wakes up, the color returning to their cheeks as they all come back with wild gasps, unsure of what’s going on, where they are, what’s happened-

 

“you’re…you’re safe…you’re s…” she trails off, the corners of her eyes darkening, and cheryl doesn’t even hear the doors open as josie bursts in and rushes to her side, because none of it matters.

 

she brought them back…she did it, she…she did it, she did it, oh god, thank you, thank you-

 

“cheryl!? hey, look at me, open your eyes!”

 

a sharp tap to her cheek has cheryl drawing in a shuddering breath, and she looks up into josie’s eyes as the girl cradles her in her lap, running her fingers through cheryl’s red hair as her vision swims and she looks behind josie to see betty hugging all the girls close, all ten of them huddled together tightly, crying and shaking from the trauma they’ve suffered-

 

_they’re back…they’re back, they’re okay, you did it, cheryl…_

 

“god, you’re way more powerful than i gave you credit it for.” josie says shakily, looking back at the girls who were _dead_ less than ten minutes ago, all looking to cheryl with confusion and concern as she pushes herself up out of josie’s lap with trembling arms.

 

she sways as soon as she’s standing, josie gripping her waist to keep her still as she blinks away the dizziness and looks at the girls with a weak smile.

 

“you’re safe…i promise, you’re safe now, okay? i’m…i’m so sorry, i d-didn’t mean for this to happen-.”

 

the girls rush forward and immediately envelop cheryl into their arms, all of them hugging her close as cheryl cries against them and thanks every goddamn god she knows that she managed to bring them back, that she did it-

 

she’s the supreme.

 

_you’re the most powerful goddamn witch in the world, shake off the fatigue, toni still needs you-_

 

oh god. _toni._

 

“i…i have to g-go, i have to save t-toni…” cheryl breathes, pulling away from the girls and looking to josie to see her staring at her in disbelief.

 

“cheryl, i…are you insane?! we can’t go running into that bar, do you know how much magic you’ve just used? you’re weakened, it’s…it’s best if we just leave antoinette with the _culebras._ ” josie sighs, scratching at her brow absentmindedly, as if she hasn’t just said the most absurd thing on planet earth.

 

and cheryl feels nothing but utter _rage_ tear through her, this energy bursting through her at the mere _thought_ of her not doing anything, of her just sitting here while toni _suffers_ -

 

“i am _not_ leaving toni there.” she hisses, glaring at josie with nothing but hatred as the voodoo witch sighs and shakes her head.

 

“cheryl-.”

 

but cheryl doesn’t let her get a word in.

 

“i _promised_ her i was going to take away her vampirism! i _promised_ her i was going to bring her magic back to her! i am _not_ going back on that promise!” she manages to say with nothing but determination, and she can feel the other girls agreeing with her, sees veronica and betty nod furiously as they cling to each other while josie throws her arms up in exasperation.

 

“cheryl, it’s hopeless! look how much this has cost you, these girls _died-_ ”

 

“i brought them back! i’m the supreme, i have no limits!” cheryl spits out, digging her nails into her fists because she can’t believe josie is even _entertaining_ the idea of them leaving toni in that bar-

 

“your mother was one of the most powerful supremes the witches have ever seen, you can’t reverse her magic-.”

 

“i just brought back nine girls from the dead. i can do it.” cheryl says with nothing but determination, and josie sighs in frustration again, clearly annoyed that she can’t get through to the supreme before her, but cheryl has no intention of giving up-

 

“why even take the risk, cheryl?!”

 

“because i’m in love with her!” 

 

the words burst forth, explode out of her with no warning, no lead up.

 

but they’re the most truthful words she’s ever spoken.

 

josie stares at her in shock, and so do the girls, but cheryl simply takes a few deep breaths in, is already going through the ingredients for an energy replenishing potion in her mind, because she’s saving toni _tonight_. she’s not waiting.

 

because she loves her. and she won’t let the woman she loves go through a single _second_ more of the torture she’s spent the last twenty years suffering.

 

she’s too amped up, too focused to really take in what she’s feeling when suddenly, a voice speaks up.

 

“she loves you, too.” betty croaks out. cheryl turns to look at her in surprise, watches as betty pulls herself out of veronica’s embrace, the raven haired girl still trembling and shaking as betty sniffs back her tears and gives cheryl a shaky smile.

 

“she told me. that day we were in the dining room, talking during our class. she told me she’s never felt this way about someone before and when i asked her if she loved you, she…she nodded. she loves you too, miss blossom. so…so i know you’re weak right now, but i know that the love you two have…that can save her. it can fuel you to _fight._ ” betty says firmly, looking to veronica and pulling her into her embrace once more before she extends her other arm to pull chloe into her, and cheryl licks her lips, blinks back her tears and tries not to focus on how her heart aches.

 

_toni…toni loves me, too…oh god, i have to save her-_

 

“you love her?” josie says softly, pulling cheryl’s attention away from her girls, and all cheryl can do is sag her shoulders in defeat, the weakness gripping her, but she refuses to let it consume her, keeps her eyes open and goes through the ingredients for the energy replenishing potion once more before she smiles shakily and nods.

 

because she does. she loves toni, and toni…toni loves her, and she’s stuck in that hellhole the longer they dawdle…

 

“with everything in me, josie.” she croaks out.

 

and josie inhales sharply before she exhales and nods her head, her eyes fluttering closed, but a smile taking over her features when she opens her eyes once more with nothing but determination shining in them.

 

“okay. i’ll…i’ll come with you. we get her back, tonight and we burn every single one of those sons of bitches to the ground.”


	10. you should have the last throw

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two more chapters left hahahahahaah oh no.
> 
> what could happen in these two chapters? (so much.)
> 
> anyway, hope you like this one! you can leave a comment or yell at me on twitter at @endofdaysforme!

“there’s over ten protection spells over the entire academy, so there’s no chance of anyone coming in, okay?”

 

cheryl looks into each of the girls’ eyes, her attention focused purely on the girls in front of her, all of them huddled up in the drawing room, clutching each other, trying to move past the trauma they’ve suffered, but the look in all of their eyes leaves cheryl heartbroken with despair.

 

“you stay here, you don’t move, you hear me? i’ll…i’ll be back as soon as i can.” cheryl croaks out, rubbing her fatigued eyes and watching as betty and veronica look up at her with sad smiles, but looks of determination as they nod once.

 

“we’ll k-keep everyone safe.” veronica whispers, resting her head on betty’s shoulder, her eyes glazed over and distant as the blonde wraps her arms around her best friend and rests her cheek on top of veronica’s head. betty has an equally distant look in her eyes that leaves cheryl watching her in a desperation almost to get the life back in her, but when she looks up and glances at cheryl, a certain sadness takes over those green eyes before she exhales shakily and purses her lips. 

 

“go bring toni home, miss blossom.” betty says softly. veronica shifts uncomfortably beside her, but cheryl, despite noticing it, doesn’t comment on it.

 

cheryl’s never felt more torn before. she wants to stay with the girls, she wants to keep them safe, but toni…toni’s stuck there, and cheryl can’t let her suffer…she can’t let the woman she loves suffer. god, she can’t believe it’s come to this, but it has, and she can’t change the situation they’re all in now…

 

“go, miss blossom. we care about toni, too, we don’t want her to stay there, not…not after what betty told us.” diana speaks up, sighing tiredly and looking over to betty, who sighs again and holds veronica closer. cheryl looks at each of the girls, sees them all looking at her with this mixture of despair, but also determination in their eyes, and she notices how veronica clenches her jaw before she her eyes flutter closed.

 

something’s wrong…

 

“veronica?” cheryl whispers, watching as the raven haired girl looks up at her, and veronica swallows thickly before she suddenly leans forward out of betty’s touch and pushes herself up onto trembling legs. cheryl simply extends a hand, offering the girl a shaky smile as she takes cheryl’s hand and leads her over to the corner of the room.

 

betty immediately cuddles up to diana, the other girls shifting closer with soft whimpers and sighs, and cheryl watches them sadly before she looks to veronica. the girl wipes away the tears falling down her cheeks before she looks up at cheryl with hesitation.

 

“toni…she…she’s like jughead. a _culebra._ ” veronica breathes, a shiver very visibly taking over the young witch as she looks up at cheryl with wide brown eyes shining with tears. cheryl feels her heart clench, but she doesn’t think for a second about lying and saying no.

 

she understands veronica’s hesitation, understands her pain, her fear, but toni…toni was so _soft_ , despite everything she’s suffered…

 

“yes…she is, veronica.” she whispers back. veronica swallows thickly and looks to the other girls, her brow furrowing before she shakes her head and looks at cheryl with despair.

 

“she’s not like him, though. she’s not, she’s…she’s nicer, she’s not an animal-.”

 

“she’s not. she’s not at all, veronica, she was a victim of their abuse for twenty years. you know she won’t ever do anything to hurt you.” cheryl reassures her, reaching out to grip her shoulder. veronica sighs shakily before she nods slowly, glancing back at the girls before a soft whimper escapes her throat.

 

“i w-watched him kill the others, and i tried so hard to do s-something, but i was frozen w-with shock-.”

 

“shh…veronica, don’t blame yourself for what happened, please. jughead is a monster, those people in that bar…they’re _animals._ no matter what you did, or how far you ran, they would’ve done what they wanted. i’m just…i’m so glad they didn’t hurt you like they hurt toni.” cheryl says shakily, tears falling down her cheeks at the mere _thought_ of jughead hurting any of her girls like he did toni-

 

“no…he just killed us.” veronica says almost slyly, looking up at cheryl with a weak smile before her bottom lip trembles. cheryl doesn’t have any words, can’t think of anything to say. her heart just breaks, and she grips veronica’s shoulder tightly before she pulls her into her embrace, the girl’s arms wrapping around her waist as she buries her face into cheryl’s chest and lets out a choked out sob. cheryl closes her eyes and rests her chin on top of veronica’s head, stroking her hair gently and rubbing small circles into her back, just thankful for the warmth radiating from veronica’s body after feeling nothing but stiff limbs and cold skin for hours.

 

cheryl holds her as close as possible, her whole body weak, but her heart strong. betty looks up at her with a sad smile, holds chloe closer with a shaky sigh before veronica finally moves back and looks up at cheryl with her brown eyes blazing with anger.

 

“go get her back, miss blossom. go get toni back. she doesn’t deserve to suffer, she’s a good p-person-.”

 

“i know, ronnie. i’ll do everything in my power.” she whispers. veronica nods once, and cheryl’s about to say something when josie suddenly makes her way into the room, boots clicking against the wooden floor as she tucks another pouch into the bag around her shoulders and pulls something else out of it that looks like a talisman of some sort, a clear jewel in the middle of it that shines brightly from the firelight behind cheryl. she comes to a stop in front of betty with a sigh, looking down at the girl with a soft smile.

 

“wear this. if something happens or you need help, rub it twice and say my name with each rub. i’m wearing the same one, it’ll burn and alert me to the fact that you guys are in trouble.”

 

cheryl breathes a sigh of relief, her hands tightening on veronica’s biceps as josie places the talisman into betty’s hands, and the girl hooks it around her neck without hesitation and looks up at josie with a warm smile.

 

“thank you.” she says in a small voice. josie simply smiles, and she claps her hands together before she turns to look to cheryl with a firm nod and a frown.

 

“ready?” she asks roughly.

 

cheryl licks her lips before she nods once, and she lets go of veronica and gives her a reassuring smile before she looks to the girls with a smile and makes her way over to them. she crouches down in front of them, looking over every single one with hesitancy to leave, even if josie’s given them something to keep them in contact if anything happens.

 

_toni…toni’s in trouble, she doesn’t deserve to be locked back in her hell…she did it for them, for betty, she **needs** to be saved…_

 

“i love you girls so much…keep each other safe, keep the doors locked, and don’t leave this room until i return.” cheryl says firmly, stepping into the role of teacher for just a moment. each of the girls nod, and cheryl stands back up, leans down to press a kiss to each of their brows, moving from one girl to the other and smiling at the warmth she feels from each of them before she straightens up and turns to josie with a deep sigh.

 

“let’s go.” she croaks out. josie nods once, and cheryl makes her way over to veronica and presses a kiss to her brow as well, feels her exhale shakily against her before she pulls back and looks up at cheryl with a firm nod.

 

“go get toni back, miss blossom.” she whispers. cheryl nods with a smile before she follows josie out of the room, unable to stop herself from glancing back at the girls worriedly, watches as veronica makes her way back over to them with a small smile before all ten of them are sitting in front of the fire, huddled close together, united as always.

 

she smiles before she locks the door behind her, looks at the door for a few moments as josie sighs behind her. 

 

she doesn’t like the idea of doing this, but regardless, she knows she has no choice. she still feels weak, her energy coming back to her slowly in the hour that’s passed since she brought the girls back, but she knows regardless of her lack of energy right now, she needs to make this as quick as possible so she can come back home…hopefully with toni by her side.

 

“they’ll be okay, cheryl…but are you sure you wanna do this?” josie asks, stepping forward behind her and gripping her wrist reassuringly. cheryl closes her eyes and exhales before she nods.

 

“positive. i’m not letting toni rot in that hell hole, you have no idea what they did to her for those twenty years, josie…” cheryl says without hesitation, her heart aching over the fact that toni is back there, god, she doesn’t deserve it. she doesn’t deserve any of it, and she did it voluntarily to save betty’s life…to save _her_ life…she was so good, so pure, and god, cheryl _loves_ her so much…

 

“i guess i don’t. let’s go then and you can fill me in.” josie says, and cheryl hesitates, looking back to the drawing room door once more before she exhales shakily and lets josie drag her out towards the back door from the kitchen, not wanting to leave from the front door, to see that porch covered in the blood of her students.

 

she could clean it up with an easy spell, but she needs to reserve any energy she has for what they’re about to do for the second time. storm the whyte wyrm and get toni back…again.

 

her girls may be back now, but cheryl’s not getting that image out of her mind any time soon. 

 

they get into josie’s car once they walk around to the driveway, cheryl staring wistfully up at the academy and not glancing for a second at the porch as she steps into the car and closes the door to the passenger seat quickly. josie settles in, turns the car on and looks up at the academy with a frown before she takes off down the long driveway. cheryl sinks down into the seat with a shaky sigh of exhaustion, her eyes fluttering closed and causing josie to reach over and take her hand.

 

she’s so tired…

 

“cheryl…are you sure you’re up for this? we’re gonna need to use a lot of firepower-.”

 

“i’m ready. i can do this.” cheryl croaks out. josie’s frown grows deeper, but she says nothing more as she begins driving them towards the southside, so reminiscent of the night they saved toni a month ago…

 

god, how has it only been a month? it feels like a hundred lifetimes have passed since that fateful night…cheryl can’t believe it, doesn’t want to believe that only a month has gone by since she saved toni’s life. 

 

god, she misses her…she misses her so much, what if…what if they get there and toni’s already dead? what do they do then, what if she supposed to do if toni is gone? how…how is she supposed to keep living, she can’t, she can’t…god, what if toni’s dead? she’ll never kiss her again, never feel that sun kissed skin beneath her lips, or feel the touch of her hand or the soft giggle in her ear-

 

“they’re gonna be expecting us this time, we gotta be prepared, cheryl.” josie says suddenly, her voice frantic, pulling cheryl out the memories from earlier this afternoon as she looks to the voodoo witch with a sigh.

 

“josie, if we panic, we’ll fail. you’re the daughter of the voodoo queen and i’m the supreme. they can’t touch us, okay?” cheryl reassures her, squeezing her hand.

 

josie’s grip on the wheel is tight, her jaw clenched as she exhales shakily before she nods with determination, and cheryl sinks back into her seat and goes over every spell she knows in her mind, her fingers fiddling with the potion in her hands as she delays using it until the very moment she needs to.

 

it’s an energy replenishing spell, but it only lasts for about half an hour, and it ends up zapping a little more energy out of you once that time is up. she’s taking an incredibly big risk here, but she needed to do something drastic and something quick. she’s not resting until toni’s out of that goddamn hellhole. 

 

she doesn’t want to know what f.p’s done to her since she went back there hours ago…betty told her that f.p had grabbed her, had been rough with her, fuck, the thought of that son of a bitch touching her…

 

they pass the sign leading to the southside, the grass becoming dead, the streets filled with litter, and cheryl swallows thickly and glances down at the potion.

 

she knows this could lead to damaging consequences, but they’re so close now, she needs to go all out, she won’t let toni suffer for another second…

 

thoughts of toni’s smile, of her soft laugh…of the way her nose scrunches when she thinks too hard or the way a dimple forms on her chin when she grins too widely has cheryl licking her lips and biting back a whine as josie begins to pull off onto the road that leads to the highway out of riverdale to new york.

 

“last time we were in there, i only counted about twenty of them. the rest were humans. we’ve got two options: we take them all out, or we grab antoinette and get the hell out-.”

 

“we’re wiping them out clean, josie. if we do what we did last time, they’ll just keep coming back.” cheryl says firmly. she’s had this planned from the second she woke up. she won’t stop, she’s not leaving that damn bar until every single _culebra_ in there apart from toni is wiped out. 

 

josie frowns, but she nods once and pulls up to the bar, the lights from that hell on earth flashing in the dark proudly and bright as the car jostle while it moves over the dirt road, and cheryl’s heart sinks down into her toes, but all she can think about is getting in there and grabbing toni, bringing her home.

 

_i…i love her._

 

god, she feels like this should be some giant revelation, like she should be feeling more about the fact that she’s fallen in love with someone for the first time, but it all just feels strangely…normal.

 

like this was kismet. like her and toni were fated to be together. 

 

she was meant to fall in love with toni. and toni was meant to fall in love with her.

 

and the rest is just…how it should be.

 

but how she wishes it didn’t have to be like _this._ how she wishes they weren’t in this position, how she wishes they could just be back home…

 

as soon as josie parks the car, cheryl unclips her seatbelt and jumps out of the car, stares down at the potion with no hesitation before she’s uncapping it and pouring the contents down her throat, shuddering at the hot liquid that enters her before she closes her eyes and lets it take her over.

 

it’s something unbelievable, something indescribable that starts right at her toes and builds all the way up to the top of her head slowly, almost like stepping into a bathtub of ice cold water with each inch of skin lowering under the waterline torturously slow. she finds herself inhaling sharply, and when she opens her eyes, josie stares at her in complete and utter shock.

 

“whoa…your eyes are glowing.” she says in a low voice, a look of awe taking over, and cheryl knows her eyes just be shining with something unseen and unheard of.

 

she doesn’t feel a hundred percent.

 

she feels a hundred and ten.

 

the energy settles deep in her gut, and she can already feel it waning, so she looks to josie with pursed lips and small nod, more determined now than ever.

 

“remember the only way to kill them-.”

 

“rip their hearts out of their chests and set their hearts on fire...got it. know how we’re gonna do that?” josie asks simply.

 

cheryl bites down on her bottom lip, but doesn’t hesitate in nodding.

 

she knows exactly what she’s going to do. it’s something she told herself she’d never do, a power she’d never use against someone, but right now, she doesn’t have much of a choice. the power she’d felt when she had used it during her test for the seven wonders, for the position of supreme…it had been a power that was strong, but one she had disliked immediately.

 

but she has no choice now. it’s the only thing that’s going to ensure they escape out of this with their lives and toni’s.

 

cheryl looks to josie, nods once again before she begins making her way towards the bar, glaring up at the flashing neon signs with nothing but anger pounding through every inch of her body. 

 

toni’s in there, she’s in there…she’s in there because she was protecting betty, protecting _cheryl-_

 

she loves her. she loves her so goddamn much…

 

“i can’t believe you fell in love with her.” josie says suddenly. cheryl sighs, looks to her with a sad smile before she shrugs.

 

“it wasn’t in my control. the more time we spent together, the more i understood her…the more i fell. i’ve never met anyone like her before, josie. she’s…everything i never knew i wanted or needed. the missing piece of my soul that makes me complete.”

 

josie’s frozen, watching her in surprise before she simply exhales, blinking rapidly as she bites down on her bottom lip and nods slowly.

 

“then let’s go get your girl back.” she says firmly. cheryl smiles as josie falls into step beside her, the both of them taking deep breaths in before josie reaches into her bag for a pouch and some potions. the look in her face is filled with fear, but cheryl knows she has nothing to be afraid of.

 

she’s never felt stronger. and the rage pounding through her heart right now is fueling everything she’s feeling. 

 

they’re all going to burn. she won’t leave until they do.

 

“alright. let’s do this.” cheryl exhales deeply before she turns to josie with a look of concern, because what’s about to happen here is likely something josie’s never seen before.

 

she’s the supreme. god, even cheryl’s not quite sure what’s about to happen.

 

“i’m gonna go full dark, no stars here, josie.” cheryl warns, but josie simply scoffs and grins widely.

 

“you got it, baby. give them hell.” josie says with a chuckle and without hesitation, and cheryl smirks before she looks to the doors.

 

this it it.

 

_burn it down, cheryl. burn it the fuck down._

 

and with a single thought, both doors are blasted to smithereens, wood splintering everywhere for the second time, the thought making cheryl smile as josie runs in and throws the first potion blindly, which immediately causes flames to spread over the entrance while cheryl simply walks in, calm and collected, her eyes scanning over the room quickly to take in any sudden movements-

 

she hears a growl to her right, and without even blinking, or even looking, she sets the figure running towards her on fire, the flames spreading and lighting the entire bar with red to join the flames at the entrance, flames she walks through with ease without getting burned. the man screams in agony before cheryl focuses her attention on the one running behind him.

 

_rip his heart out._

 

the man stops short, his eyes wide as cheryl imposes her will onto him, forces her thoughts into his mind in a commanding and demanding way, staring straight into his golden eyes and watching with a smirk as he runs towards the man on fire and sinks his hand into his chest.

 

cheryl settles the flames down, watches as rough fingers break through muscle and bone before the sound of crunching echoes out. the man holds the other one’s heart in his hands, ripping it clean right out of his chest with blood spurting everywhere as the man screams before he turns to ash right before her very eyes, scattering across the air and fanning over from the flames of the fire still burning at the entrance behind her.

 

and cheryl feels like she should react in some way to what she’s just seen, but instead, she looks to the man holding a bloody heart in his hands and smiles.

 

_now rip your own heart out._

 

she should feel bad for doing this, but knowing what all these men have done to toni for the last twenty years…she feels like they’re getting off easy, to be honest. they should be tortured like she was tortured, but right now…right now, all she can focus on is getting toni out of here. 

 

and that starts with eliminating the immediate threats around her.

 

the man looks at her with wide eyes before he sinks his hand into his own chest, screaming before he rips his heart out easily and begins to fade into ash, his heart dropping to the floor, and cheryl simply lights both hearts on fire with ease. she turns to see josie light a pouch before she throws it towards a boy with a mop of black hair and bloodshot eyes, a snake tattoo on his neck as he jumps behind the bar just as an explosion happens at where his feet were moments ago.

 

as soon as the boy pops back up, cheryl looks into his eyes and smiles.

 

“rip out every single _culebra_ heart you see in this building and bring it to me. don’t come back until you’re done.” she says firmly, with no emotion and no hesitation, and the boy’s eyes widen before he’s running around the room at top speed, all the _culebras_ rushing towards josie and cheryl suddenly screaming in agony as the boy zips around at a speed where cheryl can barely see him. blood explodes all over the goddamn place, the sound of hearts slapping to the ground in front of her echoing as they land right before her eyes, and cheryl can feel the energy draining from her, hitting her like a tidal wave, but she ignores it and watches as the boy flits around the room while josie watches in complete and utter awe.

 

“oh…my god…” she breathes, looking to cheryl, who keeps her eyes on the boy’s dashing body, a full four minutes passing with screams upon screams echoing out around the entire goddamn building, some echoing from rooms beyond this one before he comes to a stop in front of cheryl with a breathless pant, his hands covered in blood, trembling from head to toe and looking around the room with wide eyes in shock at the destruction he’s caused as ashes upon ashes flitter around the room.

 

cheryl looks down at the pile of hearts thudding on the ground in front of her with nothing but hatred.

 

she lights them on fire, watches the flames roar loudly as the boy looks down at it with a cry of anguish at his lost friends. the ones cheryl has just forced him to kill.

 

“i…you-.” he chokes out, but cheryl barely acknowledges that she’s heard him.

 

“is that everyone? no _culebras_ in town? the northside and southside of riverdale?” cheryl asks simply, watching as the flames die out until nothing but ash rests at her feet.

 

“no.” he spits out, glaring at her with nothing but hatred.

 

cheryl knows he’s telling the truth.

 

“have you killed the leader and his son?” she asks firmly. the boy whimpers before he shakes his head.

 

“c-can’t find them.” he croaks out.

 

“tell me where you last saw them.” cheryl says calmly, not even caring how the boy looks at her with terrified eyes, a whimper escaping him before he points a shaking finger towards a door in the back, the one that she and josie had been eyeing the first night they got here to rescue toni…

 

the boy looks more scared than cheryl’s ever seen anyone look before, but she simply doesn’t find it in her to care. because how many times did toni look at him in this way? and how many times did he laugh it off and continue to hurt her? 

 

“p-please…” he whispers.

 

how many times did toni beg and plead for him to stop?

 

_payback’s a bitch._

 

“is antoinette with them?” josie asks with a frown, and the boy glares at her, but cheryl sighs and picks at a spot of lint on her shirt with disinterest.

 

“answer her.” she calls, a bite to her tone that has the boy hissing, his neck straining as he tries to fight the mental grip cheryl’s powers are putting on him but it’s no use.

 

she’s the supreme.

 

“yes.” he growls out, and josie makes her way over to the door, but cheryl steps closer to the boy, eyes moving up and down his body as he watches her with a heaving chest and wide eyes. 

 

he’s strong, exposed arms rippling with muscles that cheryl finds herself glaring at, wondering how many times this boy used them to hold toni down.

 

“did you hurt her? antoinette…for the last twenty years that she’s been your _slave_ , did you hurt her?” cheryl asks in a low, quiet voice, her jaw clenching and her anger flaring when the boy’s bottom lip trembles before he nods.

 

“y-yes. i d-did. i hurt her bad.” he pants.

 

cheryl blinks back her tears, and without any hesitation, she places every ounce of telekinetic power she can into the palm of her hand and thrusts it forward, moving past hard bone and muscle and tissue, deep into something warm and sticky as the boy gasps in anguish before he turns to ash right before cheryl’s eyes, her hand pulling out his most vital organ.

 

she watches him fade away, ashes falling before she stares down at the way hot blood drips from her hand and down her forearm as the heart thuds, stickly liquid making bile rise in the back of her throat, but she simply lights the heart in her hands on fire, watches the flames burn with sick satisfaction before she looks to josie, who rolls her eyes and waves her forward.

 

“so dramatic. get your ass over here.” 

 

the heart in her hands fades to ash, crumbles in her palm until there’s nothing left, and cheryl walks past the many piles of ashes littering the floor and flying through the air towards josie with her heart thundering in her ribcage.

 

that was…surprisingly easy.

 

something tells her the rest isn’t going to be so.

 

“keep your eyes peeled, josie-.”

 

the words have hardly left her mouth as josie pushes open the door, the both of them entering a small circular room before cheryl hears a snarl and something hard collides with her the side of her body. she grunts as she falls to the ground, her head colliding with the concrete floor and making her head spin and pound wildly. she feels something grip her shoulder and turn her over, sees a flash of white teeth and golden eyes before the sound of what almost sounds like a dog whining echoes out as the weight on top of her disappears-

 

cheryl pushes herself up on her hands, her heart pounding and racing as she watches the boy who she believes is jughead jones clutch his head in agony, his beanie falling off as his face turns beet red and his wide eyes turn to face josie.

 

josie, whose eyes are rolling into the back of her head as she burns a pouch in her hands, murmuring under her breath until jughead’s back arches, a scream of terror escaping him and his chest expanding and expanding right before cheryl’s eyes-

 

josie holds a hand up and catches the heart that flies out of his chest, the blood spattering all over the room and some of it even hitting both cheryl and josie’s bodies, but the voodoo witch barely flinches as her eyes finally settle on jughead’s fading body, ashes scattering through the air while cheryl pushes herself back up onto her feet with a sigh, brushing off jughead’s ashes from her shirt.

 

_rot in hell, you utter trash._

 

payback for her girls…oh, how she can’t wait to get home and tell them the man that killed them has replaced them…

 

“and you say i’m dramatic.” she murmurs, grinning as josie shrugs and looks to cheryl with a raised eyebrow before squeezing the heart in her hands, the squelching sound making cheryl wince and swallow down bile.

 

“do you mind? my powers aren’t strong enough to light up an organ.” she smirks. cheryl rolls her eyes, but lights it on fire and makes sure the flames don’t touch josie’s hands, watches as it crumbles into ash before she looks around the room quickly. there’s nothing around, just a table pushed into the corner and a few loveseats, where the hell is a-

 

“door. behind you.” josie breathes, dusting her hands and nodding behind cheryl, who spins quickly on the spot to see a door that looks slightly ajar-

 

the energy that hits her has cheryl rushing over and gripping the door handle, throwing it open as a soft whimper escapes her, and she’s rushing down the flight of stairs so quickly, she’s surprised she hasn’t somehow obtained the speed of a _culebra_ with how fast she’s moving, desperate to get to the energy she feels coming from here-

 

it’s her. it’s toni, she knows it is-

 

the only source of light is a bulb swinging in the middle of this cramped dungeon room as she reaches the bottom of the stairs, but cheryl can still see a figure curled up in a ball in the corner, and the sight makes her heart ache so badly, she almost collapses to her knees.

 

it’s so reminiscent to the memory she saw in her mind, but there’s only brown hair now, no pink-

 

“toni-.” she barely chokes out, tears immediately falling down her face, and she sees the top of a brunette head slowly lift her gaze, arms clenching-

 

the sight makes cheryl scream before she can stop herself.

 

bruises all over her beautiful face, blood dripping from her nose and a cut to the corner of her mouth, these ragged breaths escaping her and her whole body shaking and trembling as her eyes flutter weakly, her clothes torn, oh god, the bile in the back of cheryl’s throat rises-

 

cheryl runs straight for her, collapses to her knees beside her harshly, but she doesn’t even acknowledge the pain as toni’s bottom lip trembles, her non swollen eye meeting cheryl’s, widening in surprise as a whimper escapes her, like she can’t believe cheryl is here-

 

“cheryl? i…i t-told b-betty…you w-weren’t supposed to c-come-.”

 

“shh…shh, it’s okay!” cheryl shrugs out of her coat quickly, drapes it over toni’s body, the sound of the fabric whipping through the air making toni flinch, so goddamn similar to the first day they met, except this time there’s so much more history, and toni reaches out and goes to sink her fingers into cheryl’s shirt, but there’s a loud clinking sound, cheryl’s eyes falling on the shackles around her wrist.

 

she bites back a growl and focuses her magic, watches as the shackles immediately explode and drop from toni’s wrists before cheryl hooks her arms under toni’s and lifts her up off the ground and into her embrace.

 

“cheryl…your eyes, th-they’re g-glowing-.”

 

“shh, we’re gonna get you out of here, toni.” she whimpers, hears toni sob against her shoulder before the girl’s arms tighten around her waist. cheryl buries her face into toni’s neck, inhales the scent of sweat and the faint lingering smell of her cherry blossom shampoo-

 

“i’m s-sorry, i’m s-so sorry, toni-.”

 

“shh, don’t be sorry, god…i missed you, i missed you so much…” toni breathes, lips pressing a tender kiss to the spot beneath her ear, nose nuzzling into her skin as cheryl holds her as close as she possibly can.

 

she’s beaten…battered and bruised, but she’s alive, god, she’s _alive-_

 

“cheryl!”

 

she hears a grunt behind her, the sound of glass breaking before the sound of a body slamming against something hard echoes out, and cheryl jumps and pulls back from toni, spinning around and watching in horror as josie crumples to the ground from the wall beside them, her body unmoving before cheryl’s eyes move to the right-

 

f.p jones looks up at her as he shakes his arm wildly, fending off the flames that have taken over the sleeve of his shirt before his expression turns into one of utter rage. 

 

cheryl clenches her jaw, her heart racing as she pushes toni’s small form behind her, hears the brunette whimper and clutch her arm weakly. cheryl’s eyes flick over to josie, and she breathes a sigh of relief when she sees her chest moving, sees she’s at least breathing, just knocked unconscious, eyes fluttering beneath her eyelids…

 

f.p doesn’t say a word.

 

he rushes forward in a blur of blue and white, and cheryl barely has time to react before fingers are gripping her hair and pulling her away from toni-

 

“LET HER GO! PLEASE, F.P, DON’T HURT HER!” 

 

cheryl bares her teeth at the sound of toni’s panicked screams, and with no hesitation she’s channeling her telekinesis and pushing f.p jones back away from her body, a cry of pain escaping her when a chunk of her hair is ripped out in the process from how tight his hold is on it. he flies back, rolls in the ground before he jumps back up just as quickly and rushes towards her once again-

 

cheryl lights him on fire with a simple blink of her eyes, relishes in his screams of pain before she feels small arms wrap around her body from behind.

 

toni growls as she pushes cheryl back, this new energy taking her over as her eyes burn golden and canines grow, scales rippling over her face and her body hunched over as she snarls. cheryl feels her knees begin to wobble, and the flames on f.p’s body flicker out before all the energy cheryl’s been feeling suddenly zaps out of her.

 

_no…no, it’s supposed to last half an hour, what’s happening…_

 

she used too much magic, the potion didn’t last long enough, no, no, oh god-

 

cheryl whimpers as the flames on f.p’s body fade, but toni’s on him before he can recover, running straight for him with a roar as cheryl’s eyes begin to water.

 

“t-toni!”

 

cheryl watches, completely helpless to do anything as the energy continues to drain from her, a side effect of the potion as f.p hisses and grabs toni, wrapping his arms around her body and lifting her off the ground with a terrifying howl before he’s slamming her small frame into the ground, the concrete cracking from the impact-

 

toni screams in pain, her bruised and battered face screwed up in anguish as cheryl watches f.p move over her body, straddle her waist with a wicked glint in his eyes and a loud laugh escaping him.

 

"you're not going anywhere, antoinette! i _own_ you, your life, your body, your fucking _soul,_ remember? you're _mine_ and no one else's!" he hisses, the words cutting cheryl's heart to pieces as toni whines beneath him and struggles to move out of his grip, teeth bared in anguish-

 

"and now you can watch me kill your precious little witch, drain her dry, just like i promised-."

 

suddenly, a scream unlike anything cheryl's ever heard escapes the girl pinned beneath f.p jones's body, and she watches with blurred vision as toni's arms reach up to sink her nails into the side of his face-

 

blood sprays as her nails scratch him, the cuts deep over his burned flesh as he hisses before he grabs her wrists and forces them above her head, and cheryl doesn’t even hesitate.

 

despite the waning energy, despite the corners of her eyes beginning to blacken, cheryl taps into the last ounce of energy she has left and sets the man on fire once more.

 

he screams, the flames burning over his body as he rolls off toni and flails, hands trying to pat out the flames, but it only lasts for about five seconds before cheryl’s falling to her knees, her breathing heavy and tears streaming down her face as the magic fades and toni jumps up at lightning speed-

 

cheryl watches with wide eyes, looking past the moisture in her eyes to see toni grab f.p by the collar of his shirt, pulling him up onto his knees with her teeth bared and tears falling down her cheeks-

 

one hand wraps around his throat and squeezes tightly before cheryl, speechless and unable to do anything to help her, watches with nothing but pride as toni sinks her other hand into f.p’s chest, the man’s eyes widening and a gasp of shock escaping him as he looks up at toni pleadingly.

 

and there's nothing but fear in his eyes.

 

“antoinette…d-don’t-.” he rasps, another gasp escaping him and his eyes clenching shut, a scream of pain escaping him when toni squeezes the hand in his chest before suddenly…

 

she smiles.

 

“rot in hell, you fucker.” 

 

and with that, she rips his heart right out of his chest, watches with nothing but satisfaction as his body begins to crumble into ash, his screams echoing out and fading until not an inch of him remains.

 

and toni watches it happen with wide eyes filled with shock, her bottom lip trembling as she clenches her jaw and looks down at the heart in her hands with a choked out sob, tears still falling down her face before she exhales shakily and lets out a whimper of what sounds like relief.

 

cheryl’s hands make contact with the ground, her chest heaving and her heart clenching, but still, she looks up at the heart in toni’s hand, watches the blood drip down her forearm and to the ground as the heart continues to beat in her clenched fist…

 

_one last time, cheryl…end it for her…_

 

“toni…” cheryl breathes, forcing her body to move forward despite the pain pounding through her, and she hears a soft gasp before a gust of wind hits her and gentle arms are wrapping around her, the sound of something soft splatting to the ground by the right side of her body hitting her ears.

 

“cheryl! cheryl, look at me, look at me, baby!” she’s pushed up onto her knees once more, toni’s non bloodied hand gripping her chin and forcing her to look up into golden eyes that fade to brown once more, and cheryl can feel how cold toni’s body is, how she’s trembling against cheryl as the red head holds her weakly in her arms.

 

“you d-did it, toni…you did it…” cheryl breathes out, smiling despite the fatigue quickly settling in as toni smiles down at her with fresh tears falling down her face. 

 

“cher…i have a little bit of energy left in me…take it. use it to light his heart on fire.” toni whispers shakily, brushing her thumb over cheryl’s wet cheeks. cheryl starts to shake her head, but toni leans forward and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth, pulling back and resting her forehead on cheryl’s as her blood drenched hand moves down to grip f.p’s beating heart once more. 

 

“take it, cheryl. it’s okay.” she says softly. cheryl bites down on her bottom lip, licks them before she grips the wrist of the hand still at her cheek, taps into her magic to take just a little bit of energy from toni-

 

the brunette girl gasps, her eyes fluttering closed as cheryl feels just a tiny zap of energy fill her, and she immediately lets it go and looks down at the heart in toni’s hand, focuses her energy on lighting it on fire and watches as the flames ignite and burn down the last shred of evidence of f.p jones’s life.

 

the ashes stick to toni’s soaked hand, the girl shaking it before wiping it on the concrete until she suddenly sags against cheryl weakly, both of them gasping for air, drained of any energy at all…

 

“he’s g-gone…” toni rasps out, a choked out sob escaping her as cheryl uses the last ounce of energy she has left to wrap her arm around toni’s neck and pull her head to her chest, her chin resting on top of toni’s head.

 

“he’s gone, toni…it’s over.” she reassures her, holding her close as she blinks back fatigue and exhaustion. toni shivers against her, clutches cheryl’s shirt between her fingers before cheryl hears her mumble against her.

 

“he…h-he took all the b-blood i h-had in me…” toni breathes out. cheryl frowns, feels herself beginning to collapse against toni just as the _culebra_ girl begins to do the same…

 

she hears the soft sound of groaning, her eyes moving up to see josie beginning to stir as she pushes herself up on shaking arms, and she looks around the room with a frown before her eyes land on cheryl and toni, the both of them clutching each other as their bodies begin to sink to the ground-

 

“cheryl!” josie jumps up and runs straight towards her, voice filled with panic as her boots clack in the ground. she feels josie’s warmth before the girl suddenly grabs cheryl’s hand, and the supreme squeezes it before she looks down, breathing heavily with her heart clenching and her eyes squeezing shut when toni falls into her completely with ragged breaths, her body collapsing to the ground and her head landing on cheryl’s lap-

 

_she’s dying…she’s dying, no, please…_

 

“sh-she needs bl-blood-.”

 

“here!” josie says suddenly, reaching into her bag and taking out a pouch before she’s lighting it on fire and murmuring under her breath, and cheryl whimpers as she shakes the bag over toni’s body, the burning fabric hitting her golden skin and causing toni groan against her before she shivers violently, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. josie moves the last remnants of the burning pouch over cheryl, and the burst of energy that hits her has cheryl gasping, her eyes fluttering closed as her limbs suddenly stop trembling.

 

wow.

 

_fucking voodoo magic._

 

“are you okay?” josie croaks out. cheryl purses her lips and nods, smiles and looks down before she reaches her shaking hand down to clutch toni’s cheek.

 

“toni?” she whispers. the girl looks up at her, blinking blearily before she wraps her trembling fingers around cheryl’s wrist weakly.

 

“t-take me h-home, cher, p-please…” she whispers back. cheryl lets go of her cheek, watches as she shudders before she grips cheryl’s shirt and buries her face against her stomach with a whine, and cheryl runs her fingers through toni’s hair gently before she looks up at josie with a shaky sigh.

 

“it’s over. let’s go home. josie…get my coat, please…” 

 

josie jumps up and rushes to the corner where cheryl found toni, grabs her coat and rubs back to cheryl, who pushes toni up into a seated position and slides her arms through the coat sleeves with a bit of difficulty. once the girl has cheryl’s coat wrapped snuggly around her slightly exposed body due to the tears in her clothes, something that makes cheryl’s stomach turn, cheryl, feeling reinvigorated slightly, curls an arm under toni’s knees and braces the other under her shoulders before she pushes herself up onto her feet with a grunt, toni’s body sagging in her arms as her head lolls to the side and comes to rest against cheryl’s shoulder. josie sighs, but leads the way, still cautious despite the fact that there’s no _culebras_ left alive.

 

they’re all gone.

 

it’s over.

 

cheryl climbs the stairs of the basement, presses a kiss to toni’s brow when she hears the girl whimper before she leads her back through the door and into the main room of the bar. cheryl’s knees are trembling, but she keeps pushing forward, barely acknowledges how josie suddenly stops before she’s pulling the last few potions out of her bag, her eyes blazing with nothing but anger.

 

“i’m burning this place to the ground.” she says simply.

 

neither girl protests.

 

cheryl continues walking, closes her eyes with a shaky exhale when she hears josie begin to throw potions that explode on impact and light the place on fire, flames licking the walls and the wooden floors as cheryl carries toni out through the front doors, josie following quickly behind them.

 

“wait!”

 

cheryl pauses with a groan, turns slowly and ignores the way her body throbs with pain as josie makes her way over to them and holds up the last potion to toni with a smile.

 

“you should have the last throw.” she says softly.

 

toni looks up at her weakly, her fingers clutching cheryl’s shirt before she reluctantly lets it go and reaches for the potion with trembling fingers.

 

“p-put me down.” she croaks out. cheryl sighs, but hesitantly sets toni down on her feet, one arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady as the girl draws in ragged breaths before her fingers close around the potion in josie’s hands.

 

toni nods once, offers josie a small smile and looks up at the burning building before she uses the last ounce of her energy to throw the potion with a grunt, the glass shattering on impact against the wall and causing the neon light of the pin up girl with the flashing skirt to burst into flames.

 

cheryl watches as toni wipes away her tears, watches the building burn in flames before she sags against the supreme tiredly. cheryl scoops her back up into her arms with ease, ignores the way her own body is beginning to drain of energy once again before she begins walking back towards josie’s car.

 

josie unlocks the car and opens the back door for them, and cheryl slides in with toni still in her arms, settles the brunette into her lap and holds her close as toni nuzzles into her neck with a soft sigh.

 

“i missed you.” she whispers.

 

cheryl smiles and rests her lips against toni’s brow, her eyes fluttering closed with exhaustion before the car rumbles to life beneath her body, and with her arms wrapped around the girl she loves, cheryl allows herself to succumb to her fatigue, her body drifting off to sleep as she murmurs against sun kissed skin.

 

“i missed you, too…”


	11. one step at a time, cher...one step at a time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooof this story is almost doooooone.
> 
> one more chapter that'll tie everything into a neat lil bow, yeah? p.s this hiatus is killing me.
> 
> anyway...enjoy! leave a comment as always or you can find me at @endofdaysforme on twitter!

“come on, toni…”

 

feeling a little more invigorated after the twenty minute nap she’s just taken in the back of josie mccoy’s car, cheryl blossom tucks her arm underneath toni topaz’s knees and slowly slides out of the backseat, her body aching, but pushing to lift toni out of the car. toni whimpers weakly against her, wraps her arms around cheryl’s neck as the supreme kicks the door shut and follows josie around to the back of the mansion.

 

toni’s eyes land on the blood on the front porch, and she sobs and buries her face into cheryl’s neck, but the redhead smiles and presses a kiss to her brow before holding her closer.

 

“shh…i have a surprise for you inside.” she whispers, smiling at the way toni inhales sharply as she climbs the steps and nods once at josie as the girl opens the door for them. she makes her way inside, the immediate warmth of her home making her sigh in content tiredly before she makes her way toward the drawing room.

 

she guesses veronica must’ve felt their presence, because they’re barely at the door before they burst open and ten girls are rushing out with anxious looks on their faces.

 

and the second their eyes land on toni in cheryl’s arms, they’re letting out cries of relief and soft sobs before they run straight towards the supreme and her _culebra_ girlfriend, cheryl setting the trembling woman on her equally shaking legs and smiling with tears in her eyes at the way toni gasps in shock before she’s falling forward with cry of shock, shuddering breaths escaping her at the sight of all of them alive.

 

“oh my god…oh my god!” toni breathes, her arms wrapping around lily and chloe in a tight embrace as both girls hold her close, and toni pulls away and looks up at cheryl with nothing but tears streaming down her face.

 

“you…you did it…you did it, cher…you brought them back!” toni croaks out, giggling as diana moves forward and pulls her close. toni buries her head into diana’s shoulder, holds her close before she pulls away again and looks up at cheryl again in complete and utter disbelief.

 

cheryl simply smiles tiredly, sagging against the wall with buckling knees as toni looks behind diana to the two girls waiting by the doorway of the drawing room.

 

betty chokes on a sob before she’s rushing forward and wrapping her arms around toni tightly hugging her close as she apologizes over and over again for leaving, and toni’s fingers simply reach up to run through betty’s hair as she whispers about how _happy_ she is that betty is safe…

 

“don’t…i went there to save you, betty, don’t say sorry…i’m so proud of you, god, you made it!” toni whispers, and betty simply whimpers before she looks up at cheryl, mouthing the words ‘thank you’ to her with a smile.

 

toni really made an impact on these girls…just like she’s made an impact on cheryl. one short goddamn month, and toni topaz wormed her way into all of their hearts…

 

cheryl should’ve known the second she laid eyes on this girl that she’d change her life forever. and maybe she did…cheryl can still remember the shiver that ran up her spine when she first saw toni appear from behind that god forsaken curtain. it’s a feeling that she still gets whenever lays eyes on her…

 

cheryl glances down at her bloodstained hands, swallows thickly with a racing heart as she tries to will away the images from what just happened before she looks up just as toni pulls away from betty and makes eye contact with veronica. the raven haired girl looks at her with slight apprehension, her eyes wide and filled with fear, and cheryl feels her heart sink to somewhere beneath her toes.

 

she understands veronica’s fear right now, she does…but toni would never harm any of the girls, she has to know that-

 

“ronnie…” toni breathes, tears falling down her brown cheeks, and as soon as toni holds out a trembling hand, veronica whimpers, her bottom lip quivering before she steps forward and throws her arms around toni with a sob, apologizing over and over again while toni tells her _she’s_ sorry, tears falling down her reddened cheeks and her eyes glowing golden in her mix of emotions. she closes them in an effort to keep them hidden from the girls, not wanting to scare them and god, the fact that toni is probably _ravenous_ right now but is still thinking about the girls…

 

cheryl blinks back her own tears and looks up at josie, who sighs and nods once at cheryl before letting out a deep sigh and nodding up the stairs.

 

“i’m gonna get some rest…” she mumbles, and cheryl nods once.

 

“the room you were in last time is still available. there’s a shower in there, too. do you need clothes?” cheryl asks softly, pushing herself up off the wall and making her way towards the voodoo witch. josie smiles and simply shakes her head.

 

“i brought clothes, it’s okay. i think what we all need is just…a lot of sleep, and a lot of time to recover.” josie whispers. cheryl takes her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, the words of complete and utter gratitude she can’t seem to say stuck in her throat, and josie simply chuckles before she looks at her with a knowing look of amusement.

 

“you’re welcome.” she says simply.

 

god, if it wasn’t for this girl…cheryl’s pretty sure it’s safe to say the feud between their families is well and truly over.

 

she’s pretty sure she’d bend over backwards to do whatever it takes to keep josie’s coven safe now.

 

once josie heads up the stairs, cheryl turns back to the others, and she gives toni as much time as she needs, but eventually, the brunette girl’s chest begins to heave with ragged breaths, her jaw clenched as her now brown eyes look over the girls with a tight smile. cheryl knows she’s starting to struggle with the bloodlust, so she exchanges a glance with betty and veronica before she straightens up once more and clears her throat.

 

“alright girls…that’s enough excitement for the day. head to bed, try and get some rest. consider the rest of the week off from lessons while we all recover from what’s happened tonight.” cheryl says softly, offering each of them a comforting smile.

 

and you would think the girls would cheer, would be happy to have the next five days off school, but cheryl is met with somber smiles from each of them before they begin to make their way upstairs, saying their goodnights to toni and cheryl as they do.

 

it will take time. she knows it will…but at least they’re healthy, at least they’re alive…that’s all that matters.

 

cheryl and toni watch the girls make their way up before toni lets out a whimper and sags against the wall, and cheryl walks up to toni and immediately takes her hand, tugging her close and allowing the weakened girl to sag against her with a tired sigh.

 

“we’ll go upstairs and you can take some blood from me.” cheryl murmurs into her hair now that josie and the girls are out of earshot. toni makes a whine of protest that has cheryl smiling before she helps toni lean against her a little more, the both of them following the girls up the stairs slowly.

 

“cheryl, you used so much magic, i don’t want to take blood from you, too…” toni croaks out against her shoulder. cheryl presses a kiss to her brow, leads her around the railing towards her room with a gentle smile.

 

“i’m feeling a little better, toni. i promise.” she reassures her. toni sighs, but doesn’t fight back as cheryl leads her to her room, the both of them walking through the door lethargically. toni grips the dresser and pulls herself away from cheryl, and her eyes land on the blood stains on her hands before she exhales shakily and looks up at cheryl with this distant expression on her face, one that has cheryl biting down on her bottom lip anxiously.

 

“we should shower.” toni mumbles. cheryl nods once, stares down at her bloodstained hands once more before she swallows the lump in her throat and takes toni’s hand, leading her towards the bathroom slowly. toni shuffles behind her as cheryl kicks her boots off, watches as toni does the same before she pushes the door open and steps inside.

 

she just wants to wash away every ounce of evidence of this day…

 

the tiles are cold beneath her feet, a slight shiver running up her spine as she reaches for the hem of her shirt, but toni grips her wrist to stop her, and when cheryl turns to face her, the girl is smiling softly, her eyes filled with sadness.

 

“let me?” she whispers. cheryl purses her lips, but nods once, and toni bites down on her own bottom lip before she slowly lifts cheryl’s shirt up off her body. goosebumps immediately erupt over cheryl’s skin as toni’s cold fingers brush over her pale skin, the same fingers moving around her waist and up her spine before she unclasps cheryl’s bra and moves those fingers over her shoulders to slide it off her body.

 

cheryl glances down at the brunette somewhat shyly despite being completely exposed to her just this afternoon, and toni reaches up and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before she clears her throat with a slightly hard expression on her face.

 

“are you okay?” she croaks out. cheryl licks her lips before she exhales shakily.

 

“not really. are you?” she asks back just as softly. toni’s lips curl into a slight smile before she, too, exhales deeply. 

 

“not really.” she whispers. cheryl cradles toni’s face into her hands, her heart breaking at the look on her face before she leans in to press the softest kiss possible to her lips. 

 

and god, the feeling of toni’s lips against her own again…the fact that she came so close to losing her forever…

 

cheryl wants to tell her, the words resting on the tip of her tongue, but toni pulls back with this look in her eyes that tells cheryl it might be too much in one night for her to handle.

 

she instead, cheryl reaches for the lapels of her coat around toni’s shoulders, looks to her for permission, and smiles when toni nods with a smile of her own.

 

she pushes the coat off toni’s shoulders, lets it drop to the floor before reaching for the tattered hem of her shirt, bile rising in the back of her throat at the thought of why her shirt is like that, and toni must notice, because she tucks a finger under cheryl’s chin to lift her gaze with a soft whimper, tears shining in her eyes.

 

“he didn’t do anything…f.p drained me dry of blood, and when i woke up, he tried, but i…i fought him, with everything in me. it’s why he hit me…he probably would’ve tried again if you hadn’t come…” she chokes out, pointing to the blood stains on her face and the still slightly healing bruise around her left eye. 

 

cheryl feels nothing but anger burn through her, but she knows there’s nothing she can do, no matter how badly she wishes there was. she wishes she could bring f.p back from the dead just to kill him again, over and over until he suffered every single ounce of pain he’s inflicted on toni for the last twenty years, but she can’t.

 

it’s over. he’s gone. 

 

“he’ll never hurt you again, toni.” cheryl promises instead, and toni blinks back tears and nods before she reaches for the button of cheryl’s jeans. she unhooks it from the hole, pulls the zipper down and lets cheryl duck down to pull them off before she steps out of them and reaches for the belt loops of toni’s jeans. cheryl takes them off for her, brushes her fingers over caramel skin as she ducks down before she’s pressing kisses to her thighs on her way back up, toni’s fingers brushing through her hair affectionately as she hums at the feeling.

 

it’s so soft…but so heartbreaking at the same time.

 

because once cheryl straightens up and reaches for the front clasp of toni’s bra, the brunette tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before she leans in to kiss her, tears falling down her cheeks as she curls a hand around the back of cheryl’s neck. she pulls away, rests her forehead against cheryl’s breathlessly and looks into her eyes.

 

“you saved my life again.” 

 

and cheryl can’t really think of a response other than:

 

“i always will. because you saved mine.”

 

the shower is short, the both of them too tired to do anything other than scrub the blood of each other’s hands and bodies, so they spend it massaging shampoo into each other’s hair, helping each other under the stream of lukewarm water with gentle kisses to lips and skin and soft smiles that make them feel just a little bit better about everything that’s happened.

 

by the time they’re done, toni looks on the verge of collapsing with exhaustion and hunger, so cheryl helps her out of the shower, dries her body and runs a towel through her hair before grabbing a simple shirt and shorts for her to slip into. she helps her get dressed, quickly dries off her own body and hair and gets dressed before she takes toni’s hand and leads her to the bed, plopping her down on top of it a little unceremoniously as she does.

 

“take as much as you need. and then we can spend all day sleeping.” cheryl says with a chuckle and a slight urgency to her tone as she sinks down beside toni and brushes her hair back from her neck, but toni takes her hand with a shake of her head before she pulls cheryl towards the headboard, pushes her down by her shoulders to lie flat on her back with her head against the pillow.

 

and then, to her surprise, toni collapses down beside her, a soft groan escaping her as she squeezes her eyes shut and reaches for cheryl’s hand with a shaky sigh.

 

cheryl squeezes her fingers gently, a weak smile lighting up her face as toni’s eyes flutter open, shining golden once more. she turns her gaze to face cheryl, returning her smile with a weak one of her own before cheryl shuffles a little closer to her and somehow manages to prop herself up onto her elbow despite how sore her body is.

 

but toni doesn’t really give her a chance to hold herself up, because she’s curling her fingers around the wrist of the hand propping her head up and dragging her down to her chest, cheryl blinking in surprise before she nuzzles her face into toni’s neck. the brunette’s arms wrap around her tightly, simply hugging her close, and cheryl feels toni’s nose bury into her hair, the hand at her arm skating up and down the pale flesh before she sighs in content against her.

 

“toni, you need to feed-.” cheryl starts softly, but toni interrupts her almost immediately.

 

“shh…let’s just stay like this for a moment.” she says hoarsely. cheryl purses her lips, but says nothing, instead presses them to toni’s neck as the girl kisses her hairline and rests her chin on top of cheryl’s head.

 

cheryl feels the sadness grip her, but toni’s hold on her is all she focuses on as the hand at her shoulder moves to trail up and down her spine delicately over her shirt, the both of them simply basking in this moment of silence together. 

 

and again, those three words are on the tip of her tongue, and god, she wants to say them so badly, but instead cheryl licks her lips, wills herself not to cry before she pushes herself up with a soft groan to look into toni’s eyes, a sad smile lifting her lips up once more.

 

“i…i’m glad we got you back home safe, toni.” 

 

toni smiles at that, a tear leaking out of the corner of her golden eye, and cheryl brushes it away with her thumb, sniffing back her own tears before she pushes herself out of toni’s arms reluctantly and tugs on toni’s hand to make her follow suite.

 

“come on, you need blood.” she murmurs, resting on her back once more, and toni sighs, but follows cheryl’s lead, pushing herself up with a soft whine as her eyes reduce to small slits, the scales of a snake rippling over the skin of her face-

 

“okay…but if you get weak, do whatever it takes to push me off. i don’t care, okay, cheryl? push me off with everything you have, rip my heart out of my chest if you have to-.” toni says firmly, but cheryl quickly rests a finger over her lips with a gentle smile.

 

“i’d rather die than do that, toni. but i promise to let you know if it gets too much.” cheryl whispers. toni purses her lips, but doesn’t protest. instead, she leans forward, presses a quick kiss to her lips before she pulls back with a gentle smile and tucks a lock of hair behind cheryl’s ear tenderly. 

 

without a word, and honestly, feeling half asleep from how exhausted she still is, cheryl tilts her head to the side and exposes her neck, and toni leans down and presses a kiss to her throat as she brushes cheryl’s hair back before her teeth are sinking into her skin, a soft gasp of pain escaping the supreme as her fingers curl into toni’s shirt to pull her even closer.

 

toni drinks from her for a long time, the soft suckling sounds and the feeling of toni’s tongue brushing over her skin rapidly making her head spin slightly, but cheryl doesn’t mind it. the pain is barely noticeable, not when toni interlaces their fingers and gives her hands this gentle and loving squeeze that has her smiling as her eyes roll into the back of her head. the _culebra_ venom begins to take hold, cheryl’s body beginning to slacken in toni’s grasp, and before the venom can take her into the darkness of unconsciousness once more, cheryl feels toni pull back on her own accord and pepper her neck with kisses once more, their fingers still interlaced before she’s swallowed into sleep’s embrace again, but not before she hears toni’s soft voice whisper…

 

“you’re my world, cheryl blossom…”

 

\------------

 

“cheryl? toni?”

 

cheryl groans, but tightens her hold around whatever is in her arms as she’s ripped out of her state of unconsciousness, her face burying into what feels like hair before she acknowledges the cold skin pressed against her own. she opens her eyes slowly, her whole body stiff and sore as her vision is invaded with nothing but brown hair, and when she somehow manages to lift her heavy head from the pillow she’s resting on, she looks to the door to see josie staring at them with a look of amusement, eyes shining with something the supreme can’t exactly explain.

 

“hey…you guys have been sleeping all day, i just wanted to make sure you weren’t dead.” she says with a chuckle, a glass of water in her hands. cheryl blinks rapidly before she looks to the window to see the sun is setting, a soft gasp of surprise escaping her at the sight.

 

“all day?” she croaks out, her voice hoarse from lack of use and her fingers reaching up to brush over her neck to find no marks whatsoever. she smiles despite herself as josie makes her way over to them with a sigh.

 

“yeah, pretty much. don’t sweat it, cheryl, you guys need all the rest you can get. i’ll leave you to go back to sleep, i just wanted to make sure you’re both alright.” she says softly, setting the glass of water by cheryl’s bedside table before she’s sitting down at the edge of the bed next to cheryl with a warm smile. cheryl acknowledges the pounding headache behind her eyes, and she groans softly before she turns to the body in her arms with a frown.

 

“toni?” she whispers, but the girl doesn’t stir, her eyes still closed and her breathing steady, the sight causing cheryl to let out a sigh of relief before she ducks her head down to press a kiss to toni’s sun kissed shoulder. 

 

they’re okay…they’re safe.

 

“i’ve been looking through some voodoo magic, and i thought i should let you know…i think i found a way to strip her vampirism, cheryl.” josie says quietly and suddenly.

 

cheryl turns to look at her in shock, her heart pounding rapidly against her chest, and josie smiles triumphantly at her before she nods her head down at toni with a chuckle.

 

“we’ll talk about it when you wake up. for now…hold your girl and go back to sleep. don’t come out until you’re both feeling a hundred percent, i’ll take care of your girls ‘till then. they’ve been sleeping all day too, but they’re doing okay, so don’t worry about them.” josie says, rubbing cheryl’s leg over the covers of the blankets she’s under. 

 

cheryl’s heart aches with affection for the girl before her, a girl she never even considered a friend before this whole situation…

 

a girl she now considers a sister as she mutters a soft ‘thank you’ before she watches josie stand and leave the room, the voodoo witch shutting the door behind her quietly as she does.

 

cheryl swallows thickly, her throat parched as she reaches for the glass of water josie left her, drains it in three gulps before setting it back down and snuggling close to toni’s body once more.

 

the girl shifts in her embrace, a soft groan escaping her before she turns slightly to face her with her eyes still half closed.

 

“cher?” she mumbles out, her voice raspy and thick with sleep, and cheryl smiles and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth quickly with a soft coo.

 

“shh…sleep, mon petit amour, we’ll talk when we’re both well rested.” she whispers, unable to contain a giggle when toni smiles at the french term of endearment. 

 

cheryl’s eyes are still itching with fatigue, and she barely remembers leaning down to kiss toni’s shoulder before her eyes are drooping and her head is collapsing against the pillow once more.

 

\-----------

 

a few days go by.

 

cheryl and josie work tirelessly, pouring over book after book on both voodoo and supreme magic as cheryl tries to pick apart different spells, putting them back together to try and form a cure for toni’s vampirism.

 

on day four, she clocks it.

 

with a breathless gasp and eyes filled with tears, cheryl quickly scratches down the last few words in latin before she looks up at josie with a shaky sigh.

 

“i think…i think i got it.”

 

she presents it to josie, who frowns and stares down at the paper, murmuring the words under her breath for a few moments before she looks up at cheryl in shock.

 

“holy shit, cheryl.” is all she says.

 

cheryl’s all but ripping the paper out of josie’s grasp before she’s running straight for the drawing room where toni is hanging out with the girls, and as soon as she throws the doors open, all of them look up at her in surprise from their position huddled up on the ground, cheryl’s eyes landing on the brunette girl opposite betty with a wide grin as she raises the paper in her hand triumphantly.

 

“we did it! we did it, toni, we got the cure!” 

 

toni blinks once, twice before she’s jumping up off the ground and running towards cheryl in a blur, taking the paper from her hand and looking down at it with wide eyes.

 

“only supreme magic can do it, but i’ve taken inspiration from voodoo magic, and i think i’ve done it! josie thinks so too, so we can do it tonight, or-mmph!”

 

cheryl’s cut off by gentle hands gripping her face and soft lips crashing against her own passionately, the _culebra_ girl’s arms wrapping around her neck to pull her closer as cheryl wraps her own arms around toni’s waist until there’s not an inch of space between them.

 

cheryl forgets that the room is full of her students, forgets anything except for the feeling of toni’s lips against hers, kissing her deeply, the feeling of her cold body beneath her fingertips, it’s heaven…heaven on earth.

 

it feels like hours before toni pulls away from her noisily, this soft moan escaping her as her eyes flutter open to reveal golden ones shining back at cheryl, the excitement and the happiness radiating off the girl almost palpable-

 

“cheryl…fuck, i…i don’t even know what to say-.”

 

“you don’t have to say anything, toni. just say you’re okay with us doing it tonight.” cheryl rasps out. toni licks her lips, but nods without a single ounce of hesitation.

 

“y-yes, god, _please…_ i don’t want to be like this for a single day more.” she whispers. cheryl smiles, kisses her lips quickly before she pulls her close, and toni buries her face into cheryl’s neck with a whine, cheryl’s chin resting on her shoulder with a smile as her eyes find veronica’s.

 

and the raven haired girl grins at her, tears in her eyes before she sniffs once and gives her a thumbs up with one hand as the other wraps around betty’s shoulders to pull her into her side with a firm grip. 

 

and so, the preparations begin.

 

the girls insist on being present for it, something cheryl frowns at, but ultimately decides is for the best, because if these girls are each in the running to become the supreme in the decades to come, they need to see all aspects of supreme magic possible. 

 

josie tells her they should do it in the attic her mother practiced magic in, but cheryl flat out refuses, has every intention of shutting that room the fuck down as soon as possible and chooses instead to do it in the dining room, which she clears of any candelabras or plastic fruit until there’s nothing left. 

 

toni gets more and more anxious as the day goes by, and cheryl and josie go over the calculations in the evening and come to the conclusion that the best time to do it is in the apex hour when both the moon and the sun hang in the sky. cheryl tells the girls and josie to rest, tells them to set an alarm for four in the morning before she takes toni’s hand and leads her up the stairs to her room.

 

an hour passes by.

 

cheryl can’t sleep.

 

neither can toni.

 

both girls stay cuddled up in each other’s arms, cheryl’s hands smoothing up and down toni’s back as the brunette girl traces patterns over her stomach under her shirt, cold fingers brushing over pale skin and causing goosebumps to erupt. it’s an hour of silence before toni exhales shakily and pushes herself up to look down at cheryl, a small smile lighting up her face as she tucks a lock of hair behind cheryl’s ear.

 

“cheryl…if this works-.”

 

“it’ll work.” cheryl croaks out. toni licks her lips and swallows thickly, her eyes falling down to cheryl’s own plump lips before she leans down and presses the softest of kisses to them, both their eyes fluttering shut at the contact.

 

“i’ll be human.” toni murmurs against her, pulling back to look into her eyes as her fingers brush up and down cheryl’s sides. 

 

“yes.” cheryl says simply, and toni’s jaw clenches before she chews on her bottom lip, nodding slowly as she does.

 

“i’ve never been human before.” toni whispers. cheryl swallows thickly, her fingers fiddling with the ends of toni’s hair.

 

“are you nervous?” cheryl asks, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear slowly. toni looks at her anxiously before she nods again.

 

“yes.” she says truthfully. cheryl simply smiles before she leans up slightly to press a kiss to the corner of toni’s mouth.

 

“don’t be. i’ll be right by your side, toni. i promise.” she whispers. toni smiles, her head coming to rest back onto cheryl’s chest with a shaky exhale before she interlaces her fingers with cheryl’s, playing with them nervously as she does. 

 

cheryl licks her lips, contemplates her next words carefully before she squeezes toni’s fingers and rests her lips against the top of her head.

 

“toni, i…i can restore your magic, too. i can make you a witch again.” toni tenses slightly in her arms, but doesn’t push herself up to look at her. instead, she kisses her collarbone and rests her ear against her chest, taking in her heartbeat as her eyes flutter closed tiredly.

 

“one step at a time, cher…one step at a time.”

 

cheryl smiles at that, her body relaxing further into the bed as toni begins to drift off to sleep, the idea of her and toni practicing magic together making her heart melt.

 

doing something she loves with the woman she loves…

 

her idea of heaven of earth.

 

but first…

 

_“one step at a time, cher…one step at a time.”_

 

\-----------

 

“are you ready?” 

 

cheryl hovers over toni’s body laid out over the dining table, the girl’s chest rising and falling rapidly with nerves as she looks up at cheryl with her shining golden eyes wide with fear.

 

“not at all. but it’s now or never.” toni says shakily, smiling up at cheryl as best she can as the supreme reaches for toni’s hand, lifting it to her red stained lips to press a kiss to the back of it tenderly.

 

her heart is pounding so fucking wildly, but she’s trying her best to stay calm, to convey some sense of bravery and confidence despite feeling neither of those things right now.

 

the only thing she’s feeling is sick, the bile rising in the back of her throat every time she thinks about what she’s about to do. the magic this is going to take…

 

_i have to do this…i have to fix this, my mother did this to her…_

 

“cheryl, everything’s set. whenever you’re ready, girl.” josie says suddenly, forcing cheryl’s gaze upwards just as josie finishes lighting a candle before she stands and looks to cheryl with a frown of concern.

 

cheryl closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths in, her hand still firmly clasped in toni’s before she looks up at her girls in the corner of the room.

 

all ten of them are standing huddled in a group, veronica and betty at the forefront, watching anxiously and smiling when josie makes her way over to stand beside them. josie crosses her arms over her chest and watches intently, eyes roaming over the entire room to make sure everything is set perfectly. she simply gives cheryl a nod in confirmation when she’s done, and cheryl swallows the lump in her throat and licks her lips before she looks down at toni with a gentle smile.

 

“okay…it’s time. you remember what i told you about what we need to do?” cheryl asks softly, reaching her free hand up to brush toni’s hair back from her face gently. toni exhales deeply and nods once before she glances down at their intertwined hands. 

 

“don’t worry about me, cheryl…you just focus on what you’ve gotta do.” she says thickly, and cheryl bites down on her bottom lip before she nods slowly.

 

“okay.” 

 

there’s a few moments of silence between them, cheryl’s fingers dancing up and down toni’s forearm as she tries to mentally and physically prepare herself for what’s about to happen…even though she has absolutely no idea what’s about to happen.

 

_god, this is crazy…completely insane…_

 

“cher? we…we don’t have to do this-.” toni starts, but cheryl immediately interrupts her by bending down and pressing her lips to toni’s in a soft kiss, her hand not interlaced with toni’s moving up to cradle her cheek, thumb brushing over her skin as toni inhales sharply against her.

 

a few moments pass before cheryl pulls away, and toni doesn’t say anything else after that, clearly convinced by a simple kiss that she’s wrong.

 

they _do_ have to do this. 

 

_you should tell her…tell her now, cheryl, tell her you love her…_

 

“keep breathing, okay?” cheryl tells her simply instead, and toni purses her lips and nods, her eyes moving to cheryl’s hand as she lets go of toni’s and grabs the knife resting on the table beside her body. 

 

cheryl runs through the spell in her mind over and over again before she lifts the knife to her hand, forcing them not to tremble as she presses it blade side up to her palm.

 

her mother did the same thing twenty years ago to toni, cheryl’s just praying that doing the same will reverse it-

 

her mother's greatest sin is about to be undone...oh god, this is all she's wanted for over a month now...it's finally happening...

 

she winces as she slides the blade through her skin, the pain causing her to exhale just as she hears toni inhale loudly, and she glances down at the _culebra_ girl to see her eyes squeeze shut and her hands clench into fists as the smell of cheryl’s blood hits her.

 

cheryl drops the knife to the table once more and squeezes her hand, watching the steady line of blood trail down the side of her hand and down her wrist before it forms a drop that falls to the table beside toni’s body.

 

“toni…” cheryl says hoarsely, using her non-injured hand to grip toni’s shoulder, and the brunette girl opens her eyes, the pupils reduced to slits and the look in her eyes ravenous.

 

“control…okay?” cheryl whispers. toni’s jaw clenches, but she nods once as cheryl raises her bleeding fist over toni’s mouth. the girl reaches a hand up to grip cheryl’s wrist, and cheryl hears the girls and josie all gasp and whimper as toni’s canines extend, but she doesn’t use them to pierce through cheryl’s skin. she simply snakes her tongue out and drags it over the wound, gathering the blood onto it before cheryl squeezes it into a fist to allow a steady stream of drops to fall into toni’s mouth.

 

toni’s eyes roll into the back of her head, a soft groan escaping her before she digs her nails into cheryl’s forearm and forces herself to let go. she settles back down onto the table, lying flat against it once more with cheryl’s blood staining her full plump lips as her eyes squeeze shut and her hands clench into fists, the bloodlust clearly driving her crazy-

 

“hold on just a little longer, toni…” cheryl whispers, reaching for the blade once more and gripping toni’s wrist as the wound on her hand begins to heal.

 

toni sighs, her eyes opening slowly as she glances down at cheryl holding her hand. cheryl looks to her with a raised eyebrow, and toni simply nods in consent before cheryl presses the blade into the palm of her hand reluctantly.

 

she drags it over her skin, winces when she hears toni hiss with pain, and the brunette curls her hand into a fist as cheryl grabs the cup beside the knife and holds it under toni’s bleeding hand.

 

drops quickly spatter into the cup, creating a small pool at the bottom of it before the wound quickly heals. cheryl quickly raises the cup to her lips, and toni chuckles lightly, causing cheryl to pause and look down at her with amusement.

 

she knows exactly what she’s thinking.

 

“payback.” she whispers, causing toni to let out a bit of her nervous energy with a shaky laugh before cheryl lifts the cup back up to her lips and quickly tips it back.

 

the taste that hits her tongue has her wincing, metallic, like iron and rust, but she swallows it down regardless, suppresses the shiver that runs up her spine before she licks any remaining blood from her lips and sets the glass back down onto the table. 

 

“you doing okay?” cheryl asks toni, smiling as the brunette simply nods, and cheryl exhales deeply before she closes her eyes and taps into every ounce of energy and magic she has in her body. 

 

“okay…let’s do this.” she murmurs. she looks up at josie, watches as the voodoo witch smiles at her and nods encouragingly. she looks down at toni, sees her smile at her softly before she closes her eyes once more and focuses just as the birds begin to chirp loudly outside, the horizon turning light blue as twilight sets in.

 

the second cheryl begins muttering the spell, she feels the energy _drain_ right out of her. her eyes instantly begin rolling into the back of her head, but she grips the table to steady herself, the darkness getting cloudier and cloudier as she pushes forward.

 

she hears toni gasp loudly, and every ounce of her wants to stop and glance down to check on her, but it’s like she’s possessed, the words escaping her now without her consent, ingrained into her mind and forcing their way out of her mouth as her energy continues to wane. she's started the spell, and now it won't allow her to end it.

 

her chest begins to constrict, her breaths ragged, and she vaguely registers the sound of someone shouting her name, but it sounds distant, too far away for her to acknowledge. all she can hear is the sound of toni’s soft groans before she feels the dining table begin to rock against her-

 

cheryl’s hands flail, come into contact with something cold-

 

_her hand…it’s toni’s hand-_

 

cheryl can feel toni shaking violently on top of the table, but she still can’t see, her eyes fluttering and her own body beginning to tremble as her head pounds, but she keeps going because _she has to-_

 

the taste of blood hits her tongue, and cheryl has no idea where it’s coming from, but she knows it’s her own because it tastes different to toni’s, but regardless, she keeps going, chanting the spell over and over again before she feels something _snap._

 

her chest seems to just _squeeze_ , every ounce of breath knocked out of her, the energy zapped completely out of her body, and somehow, impossibly…

 

cheryl blossom feels herself die.

 

she feels her heart pound erratically before it just stops, beating rapidly against her ribcage before it seizes and stops, and she hears the faint scream of her name before the darkness completely and utterly consumes her.

 

she doesn’t get the chance to think about the fact that her students aren’t ready, that there’s no supreme to take her spot now that she’s gone.

 

she doesn’t get the chance to mourn, doesn’t get the chance to beg for mercy, because _toni_ …

 

she just…dies.

 

nothing more, nothing less.

 

cheryl blossom feels death grip her, and all she can think about is how she never got the chance to say goodbye.

 

\-------------

 

_the sound of a baby crying is what wakes her._

 

_her eyes blink open slowly at the sound of shrill cries echoing out around her, the sound slightly distorted, and the heat that hits her is almost staggering, but when cheryl blossom opens her eyes, she doesn’t see any fire, doesn’t see anything to explain the stifling heat that surrounds her._

 

_she sees a cream colored ceiling that she’s seen a hundred times before._

 

_cheryl pushes herself up off the ground she’s resting on, groaning at the pain that explodes up her back and causes her to whimper. tears immediately prick her eyes at the familiar feeling that rattles up her spine, but she refuses to let a single tear fall as she bites back a cry of pain and glances around the place quickly._

 

_she’s in thornhill._

 

_but she’s not in her room._

 

_she’s in a room she hasn’t entered in over five years._

 

_and this time, cheryl doesn’t bother to bite back the whimper that escapes her._

 

_**please…please no, why am i in this room-** _

 

_“whining, as always. haven’t you whined enough?!”_

 

_**…no. please…please, this can’t be, it can’t be…** _

 

_cheryl cries. she curls her knees up to her chest and hugs them to her body before she sobs and sobs and sobs and doesn’t stop, tears falling down her cheeks and her head buried into her knees because **this can’t be happening.**_

 

_“stop crying, you idiotic child! it won’t change a single thing about your situation!”_

 

_penelope blossom’s voice is just as cheryl remembers it, and the sound of it has the inner child inside her screaming in anguish and terror._

 

_she’s back…she’s back in hell, she’s back, she’s reliving the day her mother broke her back over and over again, doomed to an eternity of the worst moment of her life, she’s dead, it’s over, oh god, her girls, josie… **toni…**_

 

_“i said stop crying!”_

 

_cheryl swallows her tears, lifts her head up and sniffs back her tears, ready to obey, her body jumping back into fight or flight mode so quickly, it’s almost unbearably painful, but what she sees before her is something that has cheryl freezing in complete and utter shock on the ground she’s sat on._

 

_penelope blossom bounces a baby in her arms, this look of anguish and frustration in her eyes as cheryl finally registers the sound of a baby crying once again, shrill and echoing and almost painfully so. penelope growls before she places the baby into the cot before her, and cheryl watches with wide eyes as penelope sighs tiredly, her gaze shifting to the left of the cot before a soft smile lifts her features and her hand is moving down to rest over something else…_

 

_“i’m sorry, jason…my darling baby boy…your sister is a goddamn nuisance. i’ll go grab her bottle, hopefully that’ll get her to shut up so you can get your rest…”_

 

_penelope moves to the door with her back still turned to cheryl, doesn’t see her as she exits the room, and cheryl’s eyes move from her mother’s retreating form to the crib before her._

 

_her body moves on its own accord, pushing up off the ground before she’s making her way over to the crib on trembling legs. the stifling heat gets worse, sweat dripping down her brow, but she ignores it and exhales shakily before she glances over the crib-_

 

_and comes face to face with two babies before her, wrapped in blankets, one blue, one pink-_

 

_“oh my god…” cheryl breathes, reaching out a shaking hand as her eyes land first on herself, dragging to the left to see…_

 

_“jason…” cheryl whispers brokenly, tears immediately falling down her cheeks, and when her hand makes contact with jason’s stomach, the shiver that runs up her spine has her collapsing against the crib with heavy sobs, her eyes taking in the sight of her baby twin brother gurgling and looking up at her with wide eyes filled with wonder._

 

_her brother…her three week old brother who was killed…the brother she never met, but the brother she’s always craved to know…the ache in her heart that’s always been there-_

 

_“he’ll disappear now…five minutes and he’ll be gone.”_

 

_cheryl jumps at the sound of a voice, and she spins around to see her mother staring back at her._

 

_except it’s not the woman who just walked out of the door to grab a bottle._

 

_penelope blossom’s eyes are distant, completely cold, her expression lifeless and her usually immaculate hair unkempt and falling around her shoulders limply. back hunched, a look of complete defeat in her eyes and her body..._

 

_she looks the same as the day she died in her sleep, withering away with sunken eyes and dark circles under them as cheryl had risen to take her position as supreme._

 

_“always the same…you start crying, and i try to calm you down, and jason sits there like the angel he was…and i scream at myself until my throat aches, tell myself not to leave, but i do…every single time, i leave and he…” penelope’s eyes swim with tears that instantly fall down her cheeks, her eyes on the crib before they slowly move up to meet cheryl’s._

 

_and cheryl comes to a heartbreaking realization._

 

_this is her **mother’s hell.**_

 

_penelope’s lips curl up into a smug smile, a harsh laugh escaping her as she looks cheryl up and down in judgement._

 

_“if you’re here with me, that means you’re dead. that means you **failed**. just like i always knew you would.” _

 

_cheryl bites back a whimper, her eyes squeezing shut as she tries her best to block out everything that’s happening around her, but fuck, her mother is **right.**_

 

_cheryl’s dead. and if she’s here, that means she’s here for all eternity._

 

_this can’t be, it can’t be right, it can’t be, please god-_

 

_“i always knew you were weak, cheryl. always…to think that you passed the seven wonders…it’s laughable.” penelope sneers, the sound of her feet padding on the ground causing cheryl’s eyes to snap open to find her mother standing right in front of her, still looking her up and down with nothing but disgust._

 

 _“falling to the likes of **you…** i’ll never forgive myself for it.”_

 

_**no…no, this isn’t fair, why am i here-** _

 

_“you should’ve died instead of jason.” penelope hisses._

 

_and once upon a time, those words used to make cheryl cry, used to make her curl up into a ball under the blankets of her bed with tears streaming down her face, the anguish and the pain of hearing her own goddamn **mother** tell her she wishes she was dead almost unbearable._

 

_now?_

 

_now it makes her **angry.**_

 

_and somehow, the anger translates into magic._

 

_because penelope blossom’s eyes widen before she’s being thrown back several feet, her frail body slamming against the wall before she crumples to the ground in a heap._

 

_and cheryl stares down at her with nothing but hatred and magic unlike anything she’s ever felt coursing through her veins._

 

_penelope whimpers as she pushes herself up and curls into a ball against the corner of the room, looking up at cheryl in complete and utter disbelief._

 

_“b-but…there’s n-no magic in h-hell, how is this p-possible?! it’s not possible, you deviant, insolent child! you worthless, spineless, idiotic girl! you can’t do th-that, you can’t, how **dare** you-.”_

 

_and seventeen years of anger bursts forth._

 

_“HOW DARE I? HOW **DARE** YOU?! HOW DARE YOU TREAT ME LIKE NOTHING BUT DIRT, TORTURE ME FOR YEARS WHEN I’M YOUR DAUGHTER?!” she screams, staring down at penelope blossom with hot tears falling down her cheeks, and cheryl suddenly feels the heat beginning to cool down…_

 

“CHERYL?!”

 

_the voice sounds distant, but it’s there, faint and echoing, and cheryl stares down at penelope, not an ounce of remorse as the room slowly begins to cool off even more-_

 

_“i…it’s not p-possible, th-there’s no m-magic in hell, how c-could you do that?!” penelope screams at the top of her lungs, and cheryl bares her teeth and screams right back, unable to contain any of it anymore._

 

_“BECAUSE I’M THE FUCKING SUPREME! AND YOU WERE NOTHING BUT A VILE, DESPICABLE EXCUSE FOR ONE!” she screams, satisfaction gripping her at the way penelope whimpers and winces before she glares up at cheryl with nothing but hatred._

 

_“you-.”_

 

_“shut up! i won’t hear another venomous word from you! if this is the eternity i’m doomed to, then i’ll spend it ignoring everything you fucking say! i’m done letting you control my life! i died fixing one of **your** fucking mistakes, as usual! i…god, i…” cheryl blinks back her tears, and her next words are the truest ones she’s ever spoken._

 

_“i **hate** you. i **hate** you with everything in me.” she whispers._

 

_and to her complete and utter surprise…penelope lets out a low whine of despair._

 

“CHERYL!? COME BACK, PLEASE! PLEASE COME BACK!”

 

_her head pounds, and she doesn’t know what’s happening, but she finds herself turning back to the crib out of nowhere, her anger dissipating as she rushes towards it anxiously before she stares down at her baby twin brother with nothing but tears shining in her eyes._

 

_she’s finally meeting him…_

 

_“i love you, jason…i’m so sorry for everything that happened…” cheryl whispers, pressing her lips to his forehead and smiling as he gurgles and smiles back up at her with blue eyes shining at her in wonder, and cheryl hears penelope screaming, but it slowly begins to fade, her vision darkening more and more until-_

 

“CHERYL!?”

 

her chest expands.

 

her heart pounds erratically against her ribs.

 

she gasps in as much air as she can before her eyes snap open and everything seems to become a blur around her.

 

“CHERYL!?” 

 

she feels herself being pulled up before warm arms envelop her, almost squeezing the life out of her once again as she blinks back her tears and tries to stop her vision from swimming, but her head is aching so much, god, where is she-

 

“cheryl?! look at me, baby!” 

 

warm fingers gripping her face. fingers she’s not used to.

 

she flinches at the touch of them, but her vision slowly begins to settle, her eyes landing on brunette hair and soft brown eyes before caramel skin takes shape into a face.

 

a face that has her feeling nothing but warmth, a feeling that spreads from the top of her head all the way to the goddamn tips of her toes. 

 

tears are falling down toni’s cheeks rapidly, the fear and terror in her eyes palpable, but the relief sweeping through them as cheryl draws in ragged breathes and grips the wrists of the hands holding her face. the girls and josie are surrounding her too, all of them with anxious looks on their face, but cheryl can only register toni right now, can only feel her warm skin beneath her fingertips…

 

something’s different. something’s…

 

“cheryl…oh god, i thought i lost you!” toni cries, her bottom lip trembling before she’s leaning forward and resting her forehead against cheryl’s with a shaky laugh. 

 

“i…i th-think...f-for a m-moment th-there...you d-did…” cheryl manages to say shakily, the memories beginning to fade, like water being held in her cupped hands, slipping through the cracks-

 

where…where did she go? was that real, did she really enter her mother’s own version of hell? was that…was that jason? cheryl remembers her last time in hell, but this one…this one is slowly beginning to fade, the memories clouding more and more, maybe it was a dream, maybe-

 

“cheryl…” toni pulls back, thumbs brushing over her tear stained cheeks and her eyes roaming all over her face, and cheryl drinks her in just the same, her hand’s trembling around toni’s warm wrists-

 

cheryl’s breath catches in her throat, her eyes widening as she slowly tries to process the fact that toni’s skin being warm _means something_ , but right now all she can think about is the fact that she’s pretty sure she died and went to hell and she never…she never told her…

 

she never told her she loves her.

 

_tell her…you fucking died, cheryl, you died and you never told her-_

 

the words leave her mouth in a shaky whisper.

 

“i love you.” cheryl says, staring straight into toni’s eyes as she says it.

 

and toni gasps softly, eyes widening and bottom lip trembling before she falls forward, forehead smacking against cheryl’s once more with a dull thud, the both of them breathing each other in deeply until-

 

“i love you, too.” she whispers back.

 

cheryl’s heart _soars._

 

she lets out a breathless laugh, sniffs back her tears as toni does the same before she’s moving her hands up to brush away the tears from her cheeks. 

 

and it’s then that cheryl truly begins to process something.

 

her fingers…they aren’t cold.

 

“you’re warm…” cheryl chokes out, running her fingers up and down toni’s forearms, eyes widening as she realizes that it’s not just her fingers that are warm before she looks behind her at josie with nothing but shock.

 

“did…did it work?” she breathes, looking between each of the girls before looking to toni, who licks her lips before tears are falling rapidly down her face, and cheryl thinks it’s because she’s wrong, it didn’t work, it was all for nothing, she _died_ for nothing-

 

“it worked.” toni croaks out.

 

those words echo in her mind over and over again, but she can't seem to process them...

 

she did it. she did it, toni's...oh my god-

 

cheryl’s breath catches, her mind numb and her body equally so as toni bites down on her bottom lip before she exhales shakily and suddenly turns to look at the double doors that lead outside to the garden, where the sun is now over the horizon shining brightly over the green grass and the multitude of flowers…

 

“cheryl...” she whispers simply, and cheryl knows immediately what she wants.

 

so cheryl swallows the lump in her throat, her mind still spinning, head still pounding, but she grips toni’s hand in her own and pushes herself up off the ground.

 

“let’s go.” she whispers. the girls and josie are watching them both in awe, unable to say any words, but following them nonetheless as both girls make their way towards the double doors, cheryl’s pale hand shakily reaching out to grip the handle before she’s pushing it down and throwing the door open slowly.

 

toni pauses, hides in the shadows on instinct with a hiss as more tears fall down her cheeks, but cheryl grips her hand tighter and swallows the lump in her throat, the headache behind her eyes becoming more prominent with each passing moment, but she pushed forward and tugs on toni’s hand lightly.

 

“come.” she manages to get out. toni licks her lips, but she exhales shakily, closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths in before she finally steps out of the shadows and into the light.

 

her skin doesn’t burn.

 

toni gasps, her eyes flying open as the sun hits her skin, shining impossibly golden underneath it’s rays, and at the sight of her usually dark brown eyes turning golden from the light, cheryl finds herself getting lost in the chocolate brown depths of them.

 

the emotion on her face…it’s imprinted and burned into cheryl’s mind forever.

 

toni whimpers, a choked out sob escaping her before she takes more steps out of the door and into the garden, her eyes closing as she laughs lightly and simply…soaks in the sunlight that’s bathing her body, the warmth that takes her over...

 

for the first time in twenty years, toni topaz sees the sun rise. 

 

cheryl steps out into the garden as well, her legs and her whole body still weak, and when toni turns to look at her with tears falling down her cheeks, cheryl smiles as best she can and opens her arms.

 

and toni sobs loudly before she runs straight into cheryl’s arms, embracing her tightly, enveloping her in this warm hug, the feeling of her warm skin against cheryl’s making the supreme bury her head into toni’s neck with a sigh of content.

 

she did it.

 

toni topaz is no longer a monster.

 

she’s human.

 

_you did it, cheryl. you fucking did it-_

 

“thank you…thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you-.” toni chokes out over and over again, and cheryl simply presses kiss after kiss to her warm skin before she wraps her arms around toni’s waist and lifts her, spinning her in a circle with the sun shining down on the both of them harshly, but god, so, so beautifully…

 

toni pulls back and kisses her, the feeling of her warm lips against cheryl’s making them both moan before they pull away at the same time, foreheads thunking together as they embrace this moment of peace.

 

her captors are dead.

 

and the monster inside is just as dead as well.

 

god…she’s _human._

 

“how do you feel?” cheryl whispers. toni exhales shakily against her before cheryl settles her back down on the ground, the smaller girl looking up at her with the softest smile before she pecks a kiss to the corner of cheryl’s mouth.

 

“i can’t even explain it, cheryl. the only word i can think of is…” toni frowns, her voice trembling and her whole body shaking in cheryl’s arms as well before she cradles cheryl’s face in her hands and pulls away to smile up at her with this look that cheryl’s quite sure she’ll never forget.

 

“peace. all i feel is peace.” she whispers.

 

cheryl reaches her hand up and brushes away her tears with a smile of her own, sniffing once before she presses her lips right between toni’s eyes for a tender kiss to her skin.

 

_god…so warm…_

 

“i love you.” cheryl whispers back against her skin.

 

and toni chuckles before she spins in cheryl’s arms until her back is pressed against cheryl’s chest, the supreme’s hold on her tightening as she settles against her chest and stares up at the sun once more, eyes fluttering closed in content.

 

“you have my heart, cheryl blossom. and my soul…forever and always.”


	12. nothing can compare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whewwww! another fic dusted! damn! i'm a lil emotional, but *nicki minaj voice* let's move on
> 
> thank you all for reading this and sticking by it, i know it was very different from what i usually write about and was completely out of left field, but y'all still gave it a chance and for that i'm thankful so god bless
> 
> i'll be posting the first chapter of another fic i have prepared very, very soon so keep an eye out for that one! for now though, i hope you enjoy the final chapter for this fic, it's been a ride writing it <3
> 
> as always, leave a comment or you can find me on twitter at @endofdaysforme!

“it’s so strange…”

 

cheryl hums softly against a tanned shoulder, nose buried into brunette hair before she pulls back only to wrap her arm more tightly around toni’s stomach, fiddling with the hem of her shirt while her other arm rests snug in the space between the mattress and toni’s neck. toni’s voice is hoarse, but quiet in order not to wake the other girls and josie down the hall, and cheryl pecks a quick kiss to her shoulder as the girl turns her head slightly to face her.

 

“just…not having this monster inside me that needs to be tamed anymore…it’s strange.” toni croaks out. cheryl frowns at that, unable to stop herself before she licks her lips and inches impossibly closer to her, the blankets around their bodies keeping their body warmth contained. 

 

“is it a bad kind of strange or a good kind of strange?” cheryl ask softly. toni swallows thickly, a tear suddenly leaking from the corner of her eye before she shakes her head.

 

“not bad…or good. just…different. not having that bloodlust inside me, craving human food, it’s just all…new, but not new. like holding water in my hands, this distant memory that i can’t remember. i’m just trying to adjust to it all…” toni murmurs. cheryl feels her scoot a little closer to her, a shaky sigh escaping her as cheryl simply trails the tips of her fingers underneath toni’s shirt and up and down her stomach comfortingly.

 

it’s been two weeks now since cheryl had died after stripping toni of her vampirism, and cheryl can’t deny that spending the last two weeks not needing to give toni any of her blood has left her feeling stronger than ever before. but more than that…spending the last two weeks with a _very human_ toni topaz has left her feeling _happier_ than she’s ever been before. 

 

a human toni was very different to a _culebra_ one. granted, she still carried the trauma of everything she’d suffered at the hands of f.p jones for twenty years, and cheryl’s positive that she’ll likely carry it with her for the rest of her life, but there was no longer this monster resting inside her that she couldn’t tame, and with that…god, with that came something so freeing for toni, cheryl can’t help but admire it.

 

she smiles more, laughs more, her eyes shining golden in a different way than they used to now. it’s such a crazy thing to witness, seeing toni no longer carry that weight on her shoulders. she almost looks impossibly _younger_ , this youthfulness to her that has cheryl falling in love with her even more than before.

 

of course, toni still woke with nightmares, and cheryl did her best to hold her through them, to press gentle kisses to her hair and skin, something that always seemed to calm her down. 

 

the girls suffered their own nightmares, particularly veronica, and cheryl has spent more than one night rushing from room to room to tend to them, toni eventually mustering the courage to do the same. toni’s become just as much of a mother hen to these girls as cheryl is, and it’s something that’s so strange but so comforting to the supreme, she finds herself simply basking in it instead of avoiding it.

 

josie is still around, has promised she won’t be going back home without toni, and the brunette had looked to cheryl a little apprehensively at those words this afternoon when josie had told her, the redhead not quite understanding her look of worry-

 

“what if i’m not what they’re expecting, cher?” toni says suddenly with a soft whisper, and cheryl licks her lips before she leans in to press a kiss to the spot beneath her ear.

 

“what do you mean?” cheryl whispers back. toni’s bottom lip trembles, the sight breaking cheryl’s heart as she pushes her body flush against toni’s until not an inch of space is between them.

 

“my coven? what if…what if they hate me, what if-.”

 

“it doesn’t matter what they’re expecting, toni. you’re their voodoo queen, and if they can’t accept that then they don’t deserve you.” cheryl tells her firmly, the hand tracing patterns over her stomach moving out from under her shirt to grip her hand and interlace their fingers. she doesn’t want toni to be thinking of something like this, especially when cheryl’s about to attempt to get her magic back in less than twenty four hours…

 

“and what…what if they _do_ like me? then i have to be in new orleans, leading them, and i won’t be able to stay with you-.”

 

“then i’ll visit. as much as i can. i’m sure the girls would love a vacation to new orleans.” cheryl says with a smile. toni licks her lips, nodding slowly as cheryl sighs and moves her hand out from under toni’s neck to brush her hair back from her face as tenderly as possible.

 

“toni…we can make this work. i know you’re nervous about tomorrow, about getting your magic back, but don’t be, okay? it’s who you were born to be. and you heard what josie said, her mother wants us to come to new orleans anyway to settle the feud between our covens…everything’s going to be okay.” cheryl promises, and toni suddenly turns onto her back to stare at her.

 

“i just…i don’t know, maybe i’ll feel better once i have my magic back tomorrow…” toni mumbles, wrapping a hand around the back of cheryl’s neck to pull her down before she’s burying her nose back into red hair that smells like a mixture of cherry blossom shampoo and sweat, a smile instantly lighting up her face at the scent…

 

“mmm…maybe having my magic back will make me feel a little bit less…i don’t know, useless?” toni says sheepishly into her ear, prompting cheryl to pull back look at her with a frown.

 

“you’re not useless, toni.” cheryl says firmly, and toni simply sighs again before she purses her lips and nods slowly.

 

“i just feel like i am…when i was a witch, i had magic, and even when i was a _culebra_ , no matter how weak they kept me, i had more strength than a human-.”

 

“toni, listen to me.” cheryl cradles toni’s face in her hands, a deep sigh escaping her as she rubs toni’s cheekbones with the pads of her thumbs.

 

“you’re not useless. please, don’t think that. not as a human, not as a witch, and not even as a _culebra_. you’re so important…to your coven, to josie, to those girls…to _me._ ” cheryl croaks out, the tears welling in her eyes before she can stop them, and toni lets out a soft whimper before she tightens her hold on the back of cheryl’s neck and pulls her down for a soft kiss, lips capturing cheryl’s bottom one between her own as she breathes against her deeply.

 

“i love you.” toni whispers against her lips, causing cheryl’s heart to expand and beat rapidly against her chest as she nuzzles her nose against toni’s gently.

 

“i love you.” she whispers back. toni smiles before she’s pressing their lips together once more, her hands moving beneath cheryl’s shirt to scratch at her lower back gently at first, a minute or so passing before she’s digging them in and whimpering against her as her tongue snakes out to drag across cheryl’s lower lip, practically begging for entrance, which cheryl grants without hesitation.

 

cheryl’s heart begins racing wildly at the thought of where this could lead. they haven’t had sex since that day everything fell apart, cheryl refusing to push the girl into doing anything she didn’t want to do, but if toni’s initiating it-

 

“cheryl, please…c-can we?” toni asks shyly, her cheeks flushing as she looks up at cheryl through her eyelashes, and cheryl chuckles before she presses a light kiss to her lips with a raised eyebrow.

 

she knows why toni’s asking permission, and as much as it breaks her heart, she knows it means the world to toni to hear her consent.

 

so she gives it.

 

“of course. can you keep it down, though? i’d rather not wake the girls and josie with what we’re doing…” cheryl says in a low voice, prompting toni to giggle before she reaches for the hem of cheryl’s shirt and tugs it up slowly.

 

“guess we’ll just have to wait and see…”

 

\-------------------

 

“so…are you ready?”

 

cheryl smiles down at the brunette girl before her laid out on top of the dining table once more, a soft giggle escaping the girl as she clutches cheryl’s hand into her own and presses a kiss to the back of it with a very, very warm pair of lips.

 

“more than ready. i’ve been without magic for twenty years, and human for a month now, it’s time i got back to my witchy ways.” toni teases with a wide grin, a soft hum escaping her when cheryl brushes her fingers through toni’s hair affectionately. 

 

“mmm, good…don’t worry, there’s no risk of me dying this time, the magic this takes isn’t as much as it took to make you human.” cheryl murmurs, leaning down to press a kiss to toni’s lips. she tries to pull away, but toni cups a hand around the back of her neck to keep her in place with a moan, tongue dragging across cheryl’s lower lip before she finally pulls away with a breathless pant.

 

“don’t remind me of that, please…i thought i lost you forever for a good five minutes there.” toni mumbles against her lips, the tone of her voice sending a shiver down cheryl’s spine.

 

she glances up at josie with a frown, smiles as the voodoo witch nods once and simply observes from the side with the other girls, so reminiscent of what they’d done four weeks ago, and despite the fact that cheryl knows it won’t end with the same result…she’s still worried. 

 

she can barely remember her time spent in hell for the brief five minutes she was dead, the memories almost completely and utterly faded from her mind now, but she can still hear her mother’s voice in her mind every so often, can still hear jason’s loud cries, and she finds herself wincing whenever she hears them.

 

she’s positive she’ll carry them for the rest of her life now, but she simply finds herself clinging to toni in those moments, holding her close and using the warmth of her skin as an anchor, as a reminder to why she did it in the first place.

 

seeing toni’s smile, seeing her happiness over the defeat of the monster inside her…

 

she doesn’t mind spending the rest of her life hearing her mother’s terrible words echoing in her mind as long as she gets to see that.

 

“don’t go dying on us again…” veronica grumbles, prompting betty to roll her eyes and wrap an arm around her shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze as cheryl simply clenches her jaw and nods once up at her with a slightly tight smile.

 

“i won’t, i promise.” she croaks out, glancing back down at toni, who squeezes her hand again and lets out a shaky sigh.

 

cheryl takes a few deep breaths in before she begins chanting, her hands still clasped in toni’s as she feels the brunette gasp loudly and squeeze her hands. cheryl can feel the energy draining from her, but it isn’t as bad as it was before. she does sway slightly on the spot, but toni’s grip on her keeps her steady. she keeps breathing as best she can, keeps the words flowing from her mouth as the candles around her flicker and a gust of wind seems to blow them.

 

cheryl can feel this warmth spreading throughout her body, clinging to her skin and causing goosebumps to rise as she inhales sharply and opens her eyes to glance around the room. josie is watching her with an anxious frown. everything is riding on this for her, and cheryl knows it’s going to work, because the energy is draining out of her with each passing second, her head slowly beginning to pound with the effort, and it can’t not be working if that’s the case-

 

“toni? you still with me?” cheryl manages to gasp out before she continues chanting, her eyes flicking down to the brunette to see her eyes rolling into the back of her head and her brow furrowed before she swallows thickly and simply squeezes cheryl’s hands in response. sweat drips down both their brows, but cheryl keeps pushing, because there’s no way in hell she’s stopping until toni is a witch again-

 

the last candle blows out, and cheryl finds herself sagging forward, her body draping over toni’s with a breathless gasp.

 

she clutches toni’s hand, breathing heavily before she feels a warm hand brush up and down her back. 

 

“fuck…” toni groans, her back arching up off the table slightly and pushing cheryl up just the same. cheryl rests her palms onto the table and pushes herself up on trembling hands, looks down at toni’s shaking body anxiously to see her looking at cheryl through heavily hooded lids.

 

“are you okay?” cheryl breathes, immediately gripping toni’s face and cradling it in the palms of her hands before brushing her thumbs over her cheekbones. toni swallows dryly before she purses her lips and nods once.

 

“y-yeah…” she manages to choke out. cheryl manages to stand once more on shaking legs before she clutches toni’s hand and slowly begins to pull her up.

 

“take it slow…” she whispers, wincing when toni groans in pain again before she sits up slowly. josie immediately rushes to her side, eyes roaming over toni’s body before she looks up at cheryl with a furrowed brow.

 

“did it work?” she asks firmly. cheryl licks her lips before she nods once.

 

“i’m pretty sure it did-.”

 

“it did.” toni breathes, her eyes fluttering closed and this dazed out smile taking over her face as she sways slightly before collapsing a little into josie’s side.

 

“yeah? can you feel it?” josie asks softly, rubbing her hand up and down toni’s back gently. toni hums in content as she nods against josie’s shoulder, and she pushes herself up and away from the voodoo witch, smiling at her before she glances down at the candle beside her.

 

the wick flickers to life, a flame burning brightly, and cheryl laughs breathlessly, grinning widely and dripping her forehead down to toni’s shoulder as josie claps her hands with nothing but excitement radiating off her.

 

“yes! see, cheryl, if you weren’t loved up with this one right now, i’d be kissing you, fuck! i knew you could do it!” josie squeals, wrapping her arms around cheryl’s neck and pecking a kiss to her hair before she turns to the other girls with a raised fist in victory.

 

cheryl laughs despite her fatigue, and toni grips the back of cheryl’s neck, presses a kiss to the top of her head before resting her cheek there as she laughs and breathes in deeply.

 

“you, cheryl blossom…are beyond magnificent.” she whispers. cheryl finds herself chuckling as the girls begin to rush around the table as well, all of them cheering and asking toni to light more of the candles, to show off more of her magic-

 

“girls, she only just got it back five minutes ago, she’ll need some time.” cheryl reprimands, not unkindly, but sternly enough that the girls all pout before they nod in understanding and begin to congratulate toni instead.

 

“you’re like us now!” ethel says with a grin, causing diana, chloe and lily to laugh loudly before veronica and betty look at toni with nothing but excitement.

 

“now you can join us for magic sessions.” veronica teases, nudging toni with her shoulder playfully. toni laughs softly, but the look she’s giving cheryl right now is indefinable. 

 

“well, i guess there’s no point in delaying it, huh? miss antoinette topaz, our coven is dying without their voodoo queen…so do you, as rightful heir, promise to take your place as the queen of our coven once your magic is back up to par?” josie asks, grinning widely and cocking an eyebrow at the girl, who inhales deeply before she smiles and takes josie’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze.

 

“i promise. but i’m gonna need some help getting back to where i was. twenty years without magic is a long time…” toni whispers, and josie simply leans in and presses a tender kiss to her brow.

 

“i’ve got your back, girl, don’t you worry.” she whispers back, winking once before she looks up at cheryl with a slightly amused look on her face. before cheryl can say anything, josie turns back to the girls and claps her hands.

 

“alright, come on, drawing room! i’m gonna teach you girls how to make some voodoo dolls for any boyfriends or girlfriends that break your hearts!” she says with a laugh, prompting all the girls to nod eagerly and begin talking over each other with excitement as cheryl watches them leave the room with a frown.

 

“josie! wait, i…oh, for god’s sake…” cheryl sighs, shaking her head in disapproval as josie waggles her eyebrows at her before she leads the girls out of the dining room and closes the door behind them. 

 

toni chuckles softly, but grips cheryl’s waist and smooths her hands up the redhead’s back, pulling her close until her forehead is resting against cheryl’s collarbone. cheryl smiles and rests her chin on top of toni’s head, running her fingers through her hair as she does.

 

“how are you feeling?” cheryl whispers against her, prompting toni to inhale sharply before she lifts her chin up to look at cheryl with a smile.

 

“i…can’t explain it. i can feel the magic again, and i…god, it’s _there_ , cheryl, i can f-feel it-.” and before cheryl can do anything, toni begins crying, her bottom lip trembling as tears fall down her cheeks rapidly. cheryl brushes them away with a soft coo before she’s pressing kiss to her tear stained cheeks in an attempt to calm her down.

 

“shh…it’s okay, toni. i understand. embrace it, okay? you were born for this, you were born to have magic in you…and my mother took it away…” cheryl’s voice wavers, but toni suddenly presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth with a firm shake of her head.

 

“and _you_ brought it back. don’t do that, cheryl, don’t drown in the guilt of what your mother did to me…i _love_ you, okay? nothing’s going to change that, not even that batshit insane woman who’s long gone from both of our lives now…” toni whispers, her hands moving up to curl around the back of cheryl’s neck as the redhead simply nods once with a deep sigh.

 

“what a strange twist of fate, toni…for us to be thrown together so haphazardly…” cheryl croaks out, chuckling slightly when toni smiles and scoots herself closer until her legs are wrapped around cheryl’s waist and her arms are around her neck, enveloping her in a warm, loving hug.

 

“kismet, cheryl…we were destined to meet…and you were destined to save my life. of that, i’m sure.”

 

“were we destined to fall in love with each other as well?” cheryl asks, cocking an eyebrow with amusement and watching as toni grins widely before she simply shrugs and pushes herself impossibly closer to cheryl’s body.

 

“mmm…maybe. or maybe that was just us…whatever the case, i’m glad i did. falling in love with you is the best thing i’ve ever experienced in my life. nothing can compare.” 

 

cheryl finds herself smiling, and she leans in to kiss her, her body and her mind telling her that kissing toni topaz is something she will never, ever get sick of.

 

toni’s lips move slowly against her own, cheryl’s hands subconsciously falling to grip her thighs, and as soon as her nails dig in slightly, toni inhales sharply against her and pulls away, her eyes squeezes shut and this soft whimper against her that has cheryl mentally cursing herself as she rests her forehead against toni’s gently.

 

“okay, okay, i’m sorry…i went too far, i’m sorry.” cheryl breathes, her eyes fluttering closed as she inhales shakily against toni, who grips her waist and purses her lips before shaking her head against her slowly.

 

“no, you didn’t, i just-.”

 

“it’s a trigger, i know…i’m sorry.” toni smiles weakly, and cheryl returns her smile before she presses a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

 

it’s nails digging into her skin or cheryl being a bit too rough with her teeth or her hands that always triggers memories from toni’s time with the _culebras_ and f.p. cheryl tries so hard to respect her boundaries, but sometimes she just slips up-

 

“i’m s-sorry, cher-.”

 

“hey, wait, no…” cheryl’s head snaps up, a finger immediately tucking under toni’s chin to lift her gaze as she shakes her head furiously at the brunette before her.

 

“you have _nothing_ to apologize for, toni. _ever._ and least of all for that. please, don’t…” cheryl whispers, hands reaching up to cradle toni’s face before she brushes her thumbs over toni’s cheekbones tenderly. toni purses her lips and nods in her hands, and cheryl leans down to kiss her softly, toni pulling away a few seconds later with an almost tired sigh.

 

“i’m feeling a little drained…do you mind if i nap?” toni asks, and cheryl nods without hesitation, smiles as she steps back and gives toni the space she needs.

 

but as soon as the girl jumps off the table and makes her way to the door, she pauses and looks back at cheryl in confusion before she holds her hand out.

 

“are you coming?” she asks with a smile. cheryl chuckles, her heart suddenly feeling incredibly light as she makes her way over to toni and interlaces their fingers together easily. 

 

and cheryl finds herself staring at this girl before her in wonder as she leads her up the stairs towards her bedroom, her heart still pounding, and her body almost floating with the love she feels for this girl.

 

she…never thought this would be her life…that she’d find someone to love, someone to spend the rest of her life with…ever since she became supreme, her entire life has revolved around being the best witch she can be, being the best teacher to those girls in the drawing room downstairs, being the best person she can possibly be after all the horrors she’d faced in her life thanks to penelope blossom. 

 

she never really had time to think about love, or think about the idea of being with someone, of having feelings or spending romantic evenings soaking in a tub with the girl she loves in her arms, but somehow…god, somehow, that’s exactly what she’s gotten.

 

but the thought of how much happened for them to get here…finding toni that day at the whyte wyrm, seeing her sway on that stage with barely the energy to keep herself upright, cheryl knew from that second on that she’d do whatever it took to save toni’s life.

 

she just never thought she’d end up saving it in more ways than one. and she never, ever could’ve predicted falling in love with the girl before her, but somehow, she has. 

 

“cher?” toni leads them into her room, opening the door slowly and watching her with a frown as cheryl lifts her free hand up to wipe away the tears falling down her cheeks. 

 

“sorry, toni, i just…find myself thinking about the last month and a half, and how quickly everything changed…how quickly i found myself falling in love with you.” cheryl croaks out, squeezing toni’s hand in her own and watching as the brunette smiles softly before she wraps her arms around cheryl’s neck and pulls her down for a sweet and gentle kiss.

 

and with toni’s lips pressed against her own, cheryl truly feels like she’s found a reason to keep living. because being supreme, teaching those girls how to harness their magic and use it, that’s given her a purpose, of course it has, but nothing’s ever really given her something to keep living for…

 

until toni.

 

she was the light in cheryl’s darkness. seventeen years spent in darkness, suffering at the hands of penelope blossom, five years spent trying to fix her mother’s mistakes, working so goddamn hard to prove to the other witches that she was nothing like her mother, of stress and chaos and nights spent crying into her pillow, now…

 

now she has someone to cry to. someone to hold her close and press kisses to her hair and tell her that everything will be okay. 

 

and unbeknownst to cheryl, toni feels all of that, and god, so much _more._

 

her life was so perfect before she was taken by penelope blossom. she had a loving mother, she had a coven who treated her like family, people she cared about, and when penelope blossom had kidnapped her, had tortured her, had stripped her of her magic and left her to rot in the hands of f.p jones, everything…everything had just come crashing down.

 

the last twenty years of her life have been nothing but pain. toni didn’t think it was possible for her to ever experience something good again in her life. she thought she was going to spend the rest of her days, god, a terrifying eternity with f.p jones and all his minions torturing her, hurting her, abusing her…

 

there were so many days where toni just wanted to end it all. days where she wanted to plunge her hand into her chest and rip her own heart out to end everything, to die so she could finally be at peace, but with her hands chained to that goddamn wall, she was never given the choice. they took _everything_ from her…her freedom, her body, her mind, her soul, to the point where toni began to wonder if there was a chance of her ever coming back from it.

 

and then cheryl came along. walked into the whyte wyrm with all the confidence in the world, a confidence that had toni’s attention from the second her eyes had landed on her. 

 

as much as cheryl had lost hope, toni had, too. two lost souls that somehow managed to come together, to heal the broken parts of each other, to move past all the pain they’ve suffered-

 

“toni?” cheryl whispers, pulling her out of her thoughts, and toni simply sighs shakily before she presses kiss after kiss to the corner of cheryl’s mouth, prompting the girl to giggle against her before she wraps her arms around toni’s waist tighter and buries her face into toni’s neck.

 

“thank you, cheryl…thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. i don’t think i could ever thank you enough, you’ve…you’ve saved my life. the fact that i don’t have to wake up every morning now and struggle…struggle with wh-who i am, wh-who they m-made me-.” toni finds herself struggling to get the words out, this lump in her throat forming as she exhales shakily, but cheryl simply wraps her arms around her and pulls her closer, her lips resting against toni’s brow, not so much in a kiss, but just in a reminder of sorts that she’s there…

 

“you’re not that monster anymore, toni, and…to be honest, you never were one. you never hurt anyone like they did, you never killed someone-.”

 

“they still gave me blood from the people they killed.” toni says darkly, eyes wide and filled with despair, but cheryl simply tucks a finger under her chin to lift her gaze with a small shake of her head and a frown.

 

“they tortured you, toni. the things you did, you had no choice but to do them. you were a victim, too, don’t ever think otherwise. but he’s _gone_ , toni, he can _never_ hurt you again, i promise you. that life for you is over now, we can finally give you back your old life. you have your magic again, we can get you back on track, get you back _home_ to new orleans-.”

 

“wait, cher…” toni interrupts, her hands gripping cheryl’s shirt at her hips to pull her closer with a shake of her head, another shaky sigh escaping her as she looks up at cheryl with tears falling down her cheeks.

 

“new orleans isn’t my home anymore. it hasn’t been my home in twenty years, i…maybe it can be my home again one day, but right now…” toni licks her lips and looks up at cheryl with this smile that has the red haired girl’s heart racing, pounding rapidly against her chest as she wipes away toni’s tears from her cheeks with the back of her hands.

 

“my home is here with _you._ i haven’t had a home in twenty years, and everything is changing so fucking quickly, but you…you always make me feel so calm, you always keep my head above the water, i need you to know that. i…” she stops suddenly, shaking her head with a soft scoff of almost disbelief before she takes cheryl’s hands in her own and looks up at her with the most loving expression she can muster.

 

“i just _love_ you. and i know you don’t like hearing me say ‘thank you’ when you did this for me _because_ you love me, too, but i can never say thank you enough. because of you, i’m free from twenty goddamn years of torture. i…i get to _start over_ , i get to life and grow up and die peacefully, not stuck in a dark basement chained to a g-goddamn wall-.”

 

cheryl pulls toni into her embrace, wraps her arms around her and presses kiss after kiss to her hair as the both of them cry in each other’s arms. 

 

“thank you…thank you, thank you, thank you-.” toni breathes against her, face buried into her neck as cheryl simply rubs her back and kisses her ear tenderly.

 

“it’s okay…you’re welcome, toni, god, you’re so, so welcome-.” 

 

before cheryl can say anything else, toni pulls away and grips her face in her hands, kissing her deeply with a soft whimper and walking her backwards until her knees hit the bed and she falls down onto the mattress with a loud giggle, the brunette laughing against her before she moves her hands under cheryl’s shirt to brush her warm fingers over the heated skin of the red head’s stomach. 

 

the sunlight streams in through the curtains, toni’s caramel skin lighting up golden before cheryl’s very eyes, those goddamn chocolate brown eyes almost melting as they flutter closed, a soft hum of content escaping the girl above her.

 

“god, i won’t ever get used to feeling that after twenty years without it.” she breathes, looking back down at cheryl with a smile that lights up her entire goddamn world.

 

“come.” cheryl says hoarsely, pushing toni up off her body and taking her hand before leading her to the windows, which are closed, the curtains drawn-

 

“may i?” toni asks with a wide smile, and cheryl chuckles before she wraps her arms around toni from behind and rests her chin on toni’s shoulder.

 

“lesson number one, is it?” 

 

“mmm, i think i have a more than capable teacher.” toni murmurs, turning her head slightly to press her lips to cheryl’s temple.

 

“well, if you can do this, maybe you’ll get a reward.” cheryl purrs, pressing a kiss to her neck with a chuckle as toni giggles and sinks back into her arms with a soft sigh.

 

“in that case, don’t distract me.” she teases. cheryl smiles, watches as toni closes her eyes, her brow slightly furrowed as she concentrates as hard as she can-

 

the curtains draw back, pulled to the sides before the window panes slide up to let in the gentle breeze that’s swaying the trees outside the mansion. toni lets out a shaky breath, but the look of excitement on her face is palpable as tears shine in her eyes and she turns in cheryl’s embrace to look at her with a trembling bottom lip.

 

“so g-good…god, it’s so g-good, feeling that m-magic again-.”

 

“shh, i know, toni…i know.” cheryl coos softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear and leaning in to press a kiss to the corner of her mouth.

 

when toni pulls back, she looks up into cheryl’s eyes, her thumb brushing over cheryl’s lips before she kisses her soundly.

 

“i love you.” she whispers.

 

“and i love you.” cheryl whispers back.

 

and this time, when toni kisses her, cheryl can _feel it._

 

and god…does it feel like everything she’s been waiting her whole life for. 

 

being supreme has been the most incredible experience of her life, but having someone to _love_?

 

nothing can compare.

 

still…being the most bad ass witch in the world has it’s perks…

 

because who the hell else could take down an entire species of vampires without even batting an eyelash?

 

_you got it all, kid. seventeen years of hell and at the end of it all…you got everything you could’ve ever dreamed of._

 

she has no idea what the future holds for them, no idea how long it will take for toni to harness her magic, but whatever happens, cheryl knows she can whether the storm.

 

because she’s the goddamn supreme. 

 

and penelope blossom can never, ever take that from her.


End file.
